content: Good book. Hardy's descriptions of astronomy are beautiful. The characters of Lady Constantine and Swithin are well developed, and Swithin's conflict between love and science moves the book.If I have one complaint, the characters apart from Constantine and Swithin aren't as well developed as a book like Far from the Madding crowd. Jan Coggan, the Maltster, and Laban Tall are one of the best parts of Far from the Madding Crowd, and that is missing from this book. The parson is developed, but he's not funny or lively.