Far from the Madding Crowd: The 1874 Classic Wessex Novel (Annotated)

Annotated Content. This edition has been annotated with the following unique content:Historical contextDetailed 19th century analysisAbout Far from the Madding Crowd. Far from the Madding Crowd is a novel by English author Thomas Hardy, published in 1874, his fourth novel and first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, where it gained a wide readership.. The novel is set in Thomas Hardy's Wessex in rural southwest England. It deals in themes of love, honour and betrayal, against a backdrop of the seemingly idyllic, but often harsh, realities of a farming community in Victorian England. It follows the story of the life and relationships of independent, spirited Bathsheba Everdene who arrives in Weatherbury to take ownership of the area's largest estate and receives attentions from three very different suitors: her neighbour, gentleman-farmer William Boldwood, faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, and the reckless soldier Sergeant Troy. A thrilling literary classic, and an unmissable read.