120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery πŸš€ Auckland Bookstore β€’ Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

Far From the Madding Crowd

3.97 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 163,894 ratings, 9,453 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is a classic tale set in rural Victorian England. It follows Bathsheba Everdene, an independent and headstrong woman, as she navigates relationships with three very different suitors: the humble shepherd Gabriel Oak, the wealthy bachelor William Boldwood, and the dashing soldier Sergeant Troy. Throughout the story, themes of love, jealousy, and social change are explored in the picturesque, yet sometimes harsh, countryside setting.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2200
Elsewhere:
$2400
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by classic tales of love, longing, and the complexities of human relationships set against a beautifully depicted rural backdrop. It's ideal for those who appreciate intricately woven plots and richly developed characters facing moral dilemmas and societal pressures in the Victorian era.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

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.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Launching a major new paperback series: Penguin English Library

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 menβ€”respectable farmer Boldwood, seductive Sergeant Troy, and devoted Gabrielβ€”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.

Series: The Penguin English Library

View all
  • The Great Gatsby
    Step into the roaring twenties with F. Scott Fitzgerald's timeless masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. This novel invites readers into a world characterised by glitz, glamour, and the relentless pursuit of the American Dream. Nestled in the opulent enclave of West Egg, Long Island, the story follows the enigmatic and fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby. Known for his lavish parties that attract...
    Paperback
    $1500
    Elsewhere:
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The House of Mirth
    Launching a major new paperback series - Penguin English Library The Penguin English Library Edition of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton β€œIt was characteristic of her that she always roused speculation, that her simplest acts seemed the result of far-reaching intentions” A searing, shocking tale of women as consumer items in a man's world, The House of Mirth...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Backorder
    Ships early October
  • Wuthering Heights
    The new paperback series - Penguin English Library "May you not rest, as long as I am living. You said I killed you - haunt me, then" Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Machine Stops and Other Stories
    A new selection of E. M. Forster's exquisite short stories, now in the beautifully designed Penguin English Library Series. We created the Machine, to do our will, but we cannot make it do our will now. It has robbed us of the sense of space and of the sense of touch, it has blurred every human relation and narrowed down...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Ghost Stories
    Twenty new titles in the much-loved and hugely successful Penguin English Library series. Still as the night was, the mysterious population of the distant moonlit woods was not yet lulled to rest The aim of a good ghost story is to make the blood freeze, pleasurably, and this M. R. James achieves to perfection in these wonderful stories. His most...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • At the Mountains of Madness
    Twenty new titles in the much-loved and hugely successful Penguin English Library series. 'To that flash of semi-vision can be traced a full half of the horror which has ever since haunted us' An expedition to Antarctica goes horribly wrong as a group of explorers stumbles upon some mysterious ancient ruins, with devastating consequences. At the Mountains of Madness ranks...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $1799
    Backorder
    Ships early October
  • Nineteen Eighty-Four
    Twenty new titles in the much-loved and hugely successful Penguin English Library series. Nineteen Eighty-Four 'Who controls the past controls the future - who controls the present controls the past.' Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Awakening
    Twenty new titles in the much-loved and hugely successful Penguin English Library series. 'The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude' When The Awakening was first published in 1899, charges of sordidness and immorality seemed to consign it into obscurity and irreparably damage its...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Melmoth the Wanderer
    The Penguin English Library edition of the classic gothic novel that inspired Sarah Perry's new novel Melmoth The Penguin English Library Edition of Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin 'My hour is come ... the clock of eternity is about to strike, but its knell must be unheard by mortal ears!' This violent, profound, baroque, and blackly humorous novel is...
    Paperback
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Scarlet Pimpernel
    Twenty new titles in the much-loved and hugely successful Penguin English Library series. Every step the Scarlet Pimpernel takes on French soil is fraught with danger. The French Terror is raging, and few are safe from the threat of the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney, a foppish Englishman, decides to rescue imprisoned aristocrats before they can be executed. Showing great daring...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Dracula
    The new paperback series - Penguin English Library The Penguin English Library Edition of Dracula by Bram Stoker 'Alone with the dead! I dare not go out, for I can hear the low howl of the wolf through the broken window' A chilling masterpiece of the horror genre, Dracula also illuminated dark corners of Victorian sexuality. When Jonathan Harker visits...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Animal Farm
    Twenty new titles in the much-loved and hugely successful Penguin English Library series. All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master, Mr Jones, and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually, a cunning,...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is praised for its vivid depiction of rural life and complex characters. Critics admire Hardy's exploration of themes like love, independence, and societal expectations through the spirited protagonist Bathsheba Everdene. The novel's rich narrative and emotional depth have kept it a timeless and engaging read.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141198934

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 April 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 341g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Formerly a prize-winning architectural student, Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) went on to become a prolific novelist and poet. Far From the Madding Crowd is the second of Hardy's great series of Wessex novels. The 'partly real, partly dream-country' of Wessex forms the compellingly beautiful and threatening background against which the struggles of passion so convincingly portrayed in Far From the Madding Crowd are illuminated. Hardy's novels Under the Greenwood Tree, The Return of the Native, Two on a Tower, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure are also published in the Penguin English Library.

Also by Thomas Hardy

View all
  • Tess of the D'Urbervilles
    The new paperback seriesβ€”Penguin English Library "I would be content, ay, glad, to live with you as your servant, if I may not as your wife; so that I could only be near you, and get glimpses of you, and think of you as mine ... I long for only one thing in heaven or earth or under the earth,...
    Paperback
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tess of the D'Urbervilles
    When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Backorder
    Ships mid October
  • Far from the Madding Crowd
    Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the...
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Jude the Obscure
    Jude the Obscure tells the story of Jude Fawley, a stonemason excluded not by his wits but by poverty from the world of Christminster privilege. He finds fulfilment in his relationship with Sue Bridehead. Both have left earlier marriages. Ironically, when tragedy tests their union, it is Sue, the modern emancipated woman, who proves unequal to the challenge. Hardy's fearless...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Jude the Obscure
    A beautiful clothbound edition of Hardy's most tragic novel. Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality, colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. Jude Fawley's hopes of an education at Christminster University are dashed when he is trapped into marrying the wild,...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tess of the D'Urbervilles
    Beautifully designed, clothbound edition Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tess of the D’Urbervilles
    HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. My life looks as if it had been wasted for want of chances! When I see what you know, what you have read, and seen, and thought, I feel what a nothing I am! Challenging the hypocrisy and social conventions of the rural Victorian world, Tess of the...
    Paperback
    $1099
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Mayor of Casterbridge
    A stunning clothbound edition of The Mayor of Casterbridge, a haunting study of guilt and lost love. Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. In a fit of drunken anger, Michael Henchard sells his wife...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Mayor of Casterbridge
    In a fit of drunken anger, Michael Henchard sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas at a country fair. Over the course of the following years, he manages to establish himself as a respected and prosperous pillar of the community of Casterbridge. However, behind his success always lurks the shameful secret of his past and a personality prone...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Backorder
    Ships early October
  • The Return of the Native
    Penguin Classics relaunch. The Return of the Native was written towards the beginning of Hardy's career as a novelist and can be considered one of his most representative works. In this novel, Hardy's tragic vision is powerfully and narrowly focused on Egdon Heath and the men and women who live on it. Set against the backdrop of the Heath and...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Woodlanders
    Penguin Classics relaunch When country-girl Grace Melbury returns home from her middle-class school, she feels she has risen above her suitor, the simple woodsman Giles Winterborne. Though marriage had been discussed between her and Giles, Grace finds herself captivated by Dr Edred Fitzpiers, a sophisticated newcomer to the areaβ€”a relationship that is encouraged by her socially ambitious father. Hardy's novel...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Thomas Hardy Boxed Set
    A beautiful boxed set of four of Thomas Hardy's greatest works Set in Hardy's fictional realm of Wessex, these four charming novels have been brought together in a stunning clothbound set, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. From the moving and poetic story of Tess of the D'Urbervilles to the intensely dramatic tale of The Mayor of Casterbridge, this collection...
    Box Set
    $13100
    Elsewhere:
    $14500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from General Fiction

View all
  • Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE β€” Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE β€” Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE β€” Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS β€” Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale β€” Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β€” but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
    All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." β€”USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...
    Set
    $9999
    Elsewhere:
    $12495
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin
    The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Mist and Fury
    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas continues Feyre Archeron's epic journey in the world of the High Fae. Having survived the brutal trials under the Mountain, Feyre returns to the Spring Court. Though she now possesses the immortal powers of the High Fae, the traumatic experiences have left scars on her human heart. Haunted by the...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight
    In A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, readers are invited to revisit the enchanting world of Prythian in a heartwarming and introspective narrative. Set against the backdrop of the Winter Solstice, Feyre Archeron and her mate Rhysand return to centre stage as they strive to restore the Night Court after the devastating conflicts of A Court...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. An unmissable companion tale to the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Silver Flames
    The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced with slick plotting and atmospheric world-building...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Wings and Ruin - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. The third installment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!