A review by gladys_on_mars
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

3.5

I've to gather my thoughts and write a proper review. For now 3,5☆ I think it's fair enough. 
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Proper review
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There are four main characters:
Gabriel Oak: My favorite character.
Bathsheba Everdeen: Six years younger than Gabriel (20 something), vain, headstrong, cold, and steadfast.
Francis Troy: A sergeant, self-centered, conceited, self-serving, and self-absorbed. A scoundrel, basically.
Mr. Boldwood: A 40-something bachelor, dull, obtuse, and obsessive over Bathsheba.

This book is the first of Hardy's novels set in the fictional village of Wessex. I first read Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and I've to say that I liked that one more. The thing with this one is that I didn’t like Bathsheba (I loved Tess). At first, her character is the type that says, "I’m a strong, independent woman; I don’t need any man in my life. I take pride in making men suffer by rejecting them all, and I’m not like other women who completely lose their heads when they fall in love." But moments later, she’s head over heels for a man who is going to take advantage of her. She’s so stubborn that she ignores the advice of those around her, and then she suffers the consequences. After that, her character changes completely. Everything that happens to her afterward is of her own making—she made her bed.
In the first half I was really engaged with the plot. However, in the second half I just wanted to punch Troy in the face and slap Bathsheeba for being so stupid.

Loved the greek and roman references thoughout the novel, though.