Far From The Madding Crowd

Thomas Hardys' wrote 'Far From The Madding Crowd' in 1874. Hardy's descriptions of the imaginary Wessex countryside delight me. I like the way I have stood on windy hills and looked at the stars, imagining them to rotate across the sky. The Earth changes from the solid flat ground below me to an object floating through space. I'm no longer standing upright but instead I am stuck by gravity, upside down or sideways, with my head pointing towards the cosmos. It makes the rest of the universe seem within reach. The relevant text is below.





Our fascination with the stars has inspired much human endeavor. It has certainly inspired me. To write this at least.


The book can be read in entirety here from Google Books.