Far From the Madding Crowd

Far From the Madding Crowd
Thomas Hardy

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Here is one of Thomas Hardy’s most popular novels, soon to be released as a major motion picture in May 2015.‘I shall do one thing in this life – one thing certain – that is, love you, and long for you, and keep wanting you till I die’Independent and spirited, Bathsheba Everdene owns the hearts of three men. Striving to win her love in different ways, their relationships with Bathsheba complicate her life in bucolic Wessex – and cast shadows over their own. With the morals and expectations of rural society weighing heavily upon her, Bathsheba experiences the torture of unrequited love and betrayal, and discovers how random acts of chance and tragedy can dramatically alter life’s course.The first of Hardy’s novels to become a major literary success, Far from the Madding Crowd explores what it means to live and to love.

FAR FROM

THE

MADDING CROWD

Thomas Hardy

Copyright

William Collins

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF WilliamCollinsBooks.com

This eBook edition published in 2010

Life and Times section © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd Gerard Cheshire asserts his moral right as author of the Life and Times section Classic Literature: Words and Phrases adapted from Collins English Dictionary

Cover image © Trevillion Images

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: 9780007395163

Ebook Edition © 2010 ISBN: 9780007424818

Version: 2015-03-30

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Contents

Cover (#u159d7aba-59e5-5275-9774-f45401a4ff66)

Title Page (#ud188452e-8364-5c12-825b-adec10585c0c)

Copyright

History of Collins

General preface to the Wessex Edition of 1912

Chapter 1 - Description of Farmer Oak – An incident

Chapter 2 - Night – The flock – Interiors

Chapter 3 - A girl on horseback – Conversation

Chapter 4 - Gabriel’s resolve – The visit – The mistake

Chapter 5 - Departure of Bathsheba – A pastoral tragedy

Chapter 6 - The fair – The journey – The fire

Chapter 7 - Recognition – A timid girl

Chapter 8 - The malthouse – The chat – News

Chapter 9 - The homestead – A visitor – Half confidences

Chapter 10 - Mistress and men

Chapter 11 - Outside the barracks – Snow – A meeting

Chapter 12 - Farmers – A rule – An exception

Chapter 13 - Sortes sanctorum – The valentine

Chapter 14 - Effect of the letter – Sunrise

Chapter 15 - A morning meeting – The letter again

Chapter 16 - All Saints’ and All Souls’

Chapter 17 - In the market-place

Chapter 18 - Boldwood in meditation – Regret

Chapter 19 - The sheep-washing – The offer

Chapter 20 - Perplexity – Grinding the shears – A quarrel

Chapter 21 - Troubles in the fold – A message