&I shall do one thing in this life
- one thing for certain
- that is love you & long for you & keep wanting you till I die& Gabriel Oak is only one of three suitors for the hand of the beautiful & spirited Bathsheba Everdene He must compete with the dashing young soldier Sergeant Troy & respectable middle-aged Farmer Boldwood & while their fates depend upon the choice Bathsheba makes she discovers the terrible consequences of an inconstant heart Far from the Madding Crowd was the first of Hardy&s novels to give the name of Wessex to the landscape of south-west England & the first to gain him widespread popularity as a novelist Set against the backdrop of the unchanging natural cycle of the year the story both upholds & questions rural values with a startlingly modern sensibility This new edition retains the critical text that restores previously deleted & revised passages ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World&s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford&s commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more