Far from the Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowd is an 1874 historical romance and classic romance novel by Thomas Hardy. It takes readers to Wessex, England and Dorset in the 19th century. Characters include Bathsheba Everdene, Boldwood and Sergeant Troy. Key subjects include women farmers, farm life, Wessex England and Open_syllabus_project.
Open Library readers give it an average of 3.7 out of 5 from 20 ratings, and 337 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 250 editions across 4 languages. On Project Gutenberg it was downloaded 4,054 times in the last 30 days.
It runs to roughly 424 pages — 7–8 hours of reading at an average pace. It is in the public domain in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg.
About Far from the Madding Crowd
Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in the fictional county of Wessex, Hardy's novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships.
Quick answers
Who wrote Far from the Madding Crowd?
Far from the Madding Crowd was written by Thomas Hardy and first published in 1874.
What genre is Far from the Madding Crowd?
It is usually shelved as Historical Romance and Classic Love Stories.
How long is Far from the Madding Crowd?
The median edition has 424 pages, about 7–8 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.
Is Far from the Madding Crowd free to read?
Yes. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be read free on Project Gutenberg in EPUB, Kindle and HTML formats.
What books are similar to Far from the Madding Crowd?
Readers who like it often enjoy Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park and Pride and Prejudice.
More by Thomas Hardy
All books →- FREE🎧
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Thomas Hardy
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Thomas Hardy
- FREE
Jude the Obscure
Thomas Hardy
- FREE
The Return of the Native
Thomas Hardy
- FREE🎧
Two on a Tower
Thomas Hardy
- FREE
Desperate Remedies
Thomas Hardy
Books like Far from the Madding Crowd
- FREE🎧
Sense and Sensibility
Jane Austen
- FREE🎧
Mansfield Park
Jane Austen
- FREE🎧
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
- FREE🎧
Ivanhoe
Sir Walter Scott
- FREE🎧
Persuasion
Jane Austen
- FREE🎧
The Woman in White
Wilkie Collins
- FREE🎧
Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë
- FREE
Washington Square
Henry James