This edition contains the original and unabridged text of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd.Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success, 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 describes the farmer Bathsheba Everdene, her life and relationships - especially with her lonely neighbour William Boldwood, the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, and the thriftless soldier Sergeant Troy.