""Far From The Madding Crowd"" is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1874. The story is set in rural England during the mid-19th century and follows the life of Bathsheba Everdene, a young and independent woman who inherits a farm from her uncle. Bathsheba is courted by three very different men: Gabriel Oak, a humble shepherd who becomes her loyal friend; William Boldwood, a wealthy and reserved landowner who becomes obsessed with her; and Sergeant Francis Troy, a dashing soldier who sweeps her off her feet. As Bathsheba navigates the complexities of love and marriage, she must also contend with the challenges of running a farm and the expectations of society. The novel explores themes of love, class, gender roles, and the changing landscape of rural England. With its vivid descriptions of the countryside and its memorable characters, ""Far From The Madding Crowd"" is considered one of Hardy's finest works and a classic of English literature.She was the young woman of the night before. Gabriel instantly thought of the hat she had mentioned as having lost in the wind; possibly she had come to look for it. He hastily scanned the ditch and after walking about ten yards along it found the hat among the leaves. Gabriel took it in his hand and returned to his hut. Here he ensconced himself, and peeped through the loophole in the direction of the rider's approach.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.