Far From the Madding Crowd: Thomas Hardy (The Penguin English Library)

Hardy, Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141198931 ISBN 13: 9780141198934

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 2012

The Penguin English Library Edition of Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

'I cannot allow any man to - to criticise my private conduct!' she exclaimed. 'Nor will I for a minute'

Hardy's powerful novel of swift sexual passion and slow-burning loyalty centres on Bathsheba Everdene, a proud working woman whose life is complicated by three different men - respectable farmer Boldwood, seductive Sergeant Troy and devoted Gabriel - making her the object of scandal and betrayal. Vividly portraying the superstitions and traditions of a small rural community, Far from the Madding Crowd shows the precarious position of a woman in a man's world.

The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Review:

"Vital, passionate, spirited - from the moment Bathsheba appears she is beguiling. You can denounce her faults - she's selfish and capricious - but it's hard not to admire her determined independence" (Di Speirs (executive producer of readings at the BBC) Independent)

"Hardy's warmest and most enchanting novel" (Daily Express)

"Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd is the most romantic book I have ever read. I love the line where he says: "Whenever you look up, there I shall be - and whenever I look up there will be you." It is very simple and understated, but also incredibly romantic" (Liz Jensen Independent)

"Hardy expounds on his favourite themes: misunderstandings, missed opportunities, unrequited love and fatal omissions" (Sunday Times)

"The age-old dilemma - mind-blowing passion versus a man who knows how to put up shelves" (Independent)

Book Description:

Cambridge Literature is a series of literary texts edited for study by students aged 14–18 in English-speaking classrooms. It will include novels, poetry, short stories, essays, travel-writing and other non-fiction.