Far from the Madding Crowd
Thomas Hardy
Play
Length 14 h 40 min
Chapters 57
First published 1874
Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and offers in ample measure the details of English rural life that Hardy so relished. Hardy's growing taste for tragedy is also evident in the novel. It first appeared, anonymously, as a monthly magazine serial, where it gained a wide readership and critical acclaim. According to Virginia Woolf, "The subject was right; the method was right; the poet and the countryman, the sensual man, the sombre reflective man, the man of learning, all enlisted to produce a book which . . . must hold its place among the great English novels." The book is often regarded as an early piece of feminist literature, since it features an independent woman with the courage to defy convention by running a farm herself. Although Bathsheba's passionate nature leads her into serious errors of judgment, Hardy endows her with sufficient resilience, intelligence, and good luck to overcome her youthful folly.
Chapters
1
01 - Description of Farmer Oak--An Incident Read by Lee Ann Howlett 11:23
2
02 - Night--The Flock--An Interior--Another Interior Read by Simon Evers 19:35
3
03 - A Girl on Horseback--Conversation Read by Simon Evers 18:58
4
04 - Gabriel's Resolve--The Visit--The Mistake Read by Patti Brugman 20:25
5
05 - Departure of Bathsheba--A Pastoral Tragedy Read by Patti Brugman 11:38
6
06 - The Fair--The Journey--The Fire Read by Lee Ann Howlett 19:46
7
07 - Recognition--A Timid Girl Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014) 9:18
8
08 - The Malthouse--The Chat--News Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014) 48:45
9
09 - The Homestead--A Visitor--Half-Confidences Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014) 15:10
10
10 - Mistress and Men Read by Simon Evers 13:29
11
11 - Outside the Barracks--Snow--A Meeting Read by Simon Evers 11:57
12
12 - Farmers--A Rule--An Exception Read by Lee Ann Howlett 10:11
13
13 - Sortes Sanctorum--The Valentine Read by Lee Ann Howlett 8:45
14
14 - Effect of the Letter--Sunrise Read by Simon Evers 10:07
15
15 - A Morning Meeting--The Letter Again Read by Simon Evers 22:55
16
16 - All Saints' and All Souls' Read by Simon Evers 6:58
17
17 - In the Market-Place Read by Lee Ann Howlett 5:39
18
18 - Boldwood in Meditation--Regret Read by Lee Ann Howlett 10:05
19
19 - The Sheep-Washing--The Offer Read by Lee Ann Howlett 12:27
20
20 - Perplexity--Grinding the Shears--A Quarrel Read by Lee Ann Howlett 12:46
21
21 - Troubles in the Fold--A Message Read by E. Plein 12:38
22
22 - The Great Barn and the Sheep-Shearers Read by E. Plein 21:13
23
23 - Eventide--A Second Declaration Read by Lee Ann Howlett 13:50
24
24 - The Same Night--The Fir Plantation Read by Lee Ann Howlett 13:20
25
25 - The New Acquaintance Described Read by Lee Ann Howlett 7:45
26
26 - Scene on the Verge of the Hay-Mead Read by Lee Ann Howlett 18:30
27
27 - Hiving the Bees Read by hefyd 7:21
28
28 - The Hollow Amid the Ferns Read by hefyd 12:33
29
29 - Particulars of a Twilight Walk Read by hefyd 16:42
30
30 - Hot Cheeks and Tearful Eyes Read by hefyd 10:31
31
31 - Blame--Fury Read by hefyd 19:41
32
32 - Night--Horses Tramping Read by Tracey Norman 19:32
33
33 - In the Sun--A Harbinger Read by J. M. Smallheer 14:27
34
34 - Home Again--A Trickster Read by Lee Ann Howlett 19:51
35
35 - At an Upper Window Read by Lee Ann Howlett 8:05
36
36 - Wealth in Jeopardy--The Revel Read by Lee Ann Howlett 17:52
37
37 - The Storm--The Two Together Read by Lee Ann Howlett 15:04
38
38 - Rain--One Solitary Meets Another Read by Sarah Jennings 7:40
39
39 - Coming Home--A Cry Read by Lee Ann Howlett 8:16
40
40 - On Casterbridge Highway Read by Simon Evers 17:53
41
41 - Suspicion--Fanny Is Sent For Read by Simon Evers 22:27
42
42 - Joseph and His Burden--Buck's Head Read by Simon Evers 25:12
43
43 - Fanny's Revenge Read by Lee Ann Howlett 21:02
44
44 - Under a Tree--Reaction Read by Lee Ann Howlett 15:11
45
45 - Troy's Romanticism Read by Lee Ann Howlett 9:55
46
46 - The Gurgoyle: Its Doings Read by J. M. Smallheer 15:27
47
47 - Adventures by the Shore Read by George Deprez, PhD 8:09
48
48 - Doubts Arise--Doubts Linger Read by Simon Evers 12:34
49
49 - Oak's Advancement--A Great Hope Read by Simon Evers 13:01
50
50 - The Sheep Fair--Troy Touches His Wife's Hand Read by Simon Evers 33:53
51
51 - Bathsheba Talks with Her Outrider Read by John Lieder 20:05
52
52 - Converging Courses Read by Simon Evers 22:15
53
53 - Concurritur--Horae Momento Read by Simon Evers 25:14
54
54 - After the Shock Read by Simon Evers 10:44
55
55 - The March Following--"Bathsheba Boldwood" Read by Simon Evers 10:50
56
56 - Beauty in Loneliness--After All Read by Lee Ann Howlett 19:25
57
57 - A Foggy Night and Morning--Conclusion Read by Lee Ann Howlett 11:50
From LibriVox, read by volunteers and in the public domain. LibriVox page (opens librivox.org) , the text (opens gutenberg.org) , all files on the Internet Archive (opens archive.org) .
