Far From the Madding Crowd
Far From the Madding Crowd is a romance novel written by Thomas Hardy and first published in 1874.
Bathsheba Everdene is a feisty and independent young woman. She inherits a farm from her uncles and decides to go against the tide: to manage it without the help of a man. However, she has no shortage of suitors, as she is also a great beauty. Three men, each one different from the other, will try to win Bathsheba's love.
These three men are: the shepherd Gabriel, former love of the young woman but of low social position; the rich but older than her landowner Boldwood and the young seductive sergeant Troy. Who will she choose?
"When Farmer Oak smiled, the corners of his mouth spread till they were within an unimportant distance of his ears, his eyes were reduced to chinks, and diverging wrinkles appeared round them, extending upon his countenance like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun."
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Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans
Copyright note. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading Far From the Madding Crowd in PDF or EPUB.
- Pages
- 414
- Reading time
- 11 hours 34 minutes
- Pace
- Intermediate
- First published
- 1874
- Language
- English
- Downloads
- 3,782
152 years later, still timely
Why Read Far From the Madding Crowd in 2026?
Weather, work, and three suitors test Bathsheba’s bright independence. Hardy lets a farm teach love’s arithmetic.
Today's connection
Leadership, consent, and stewardship braid together here. The novel favors reliability over drama and respect over ownership.
Land and love
The field tutors the heart.
Agency intact
Desire that does not erase self.
Choices that count
Worth measured by care.
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About the author
Thomas Hardy
Rural tragedy and tender irony; fate, class, and desire in exact prose.
