Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

Far from the Madding Crowd

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 1706 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Thomas Hardy39 chapters

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #27.

39 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

This edition of Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #27, divided into 39 chapters and 1706 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.

Where can I read Far from the Madding Crowd in full?

The complete text of Far from the Madding Crowd is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #27 and divided into 1706 sections.

This page carries the whole of Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #27, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 8529 sentences across 39 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.

How is Far from the Madding Crowd divided for reading?

Far from the Madding Crowd is presented in 39 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting Far from the Madding Crowd as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1706 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 39 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.

Can I hear Far from the Madding Crowd read aloud?

Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Far from the Madding Crowd can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.

Every sentence of Far from the Madding Crowd can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.

Questions about reading Far from the Madding Crowd

Common questions about reading Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Far from the Madding Crowd?

Yes. All 8529 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Far from the Madding Crowd is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Far from the Madding Crowd take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1706 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Far from the Madding Crowd section by section

How to work through Far from the Madding Crowd section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 39 chapters of Far from the Madding Crowd to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Far from the Madding Crowd

Words and structures a reader meets early in Far from the Madding Crowd, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Illustrations: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Far from the Madding Crowd; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hands: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Far from the Madding Crowd; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Loosening: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Far from the Madding Crowd; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Neckerchief: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Far from the Madding Crowd; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Academic course · 39 chapters

Course Syllabus

This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.

Far from the Madding Crowd

Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.

0 of 1722 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

Far from the Madding Crowd

Where can I read Far from the Madding Crowd in full?

How is Far from the Madding Crowd divided for reading?

Can I hear Far from the Madding Crowd read aloud?

Questions about reading Far from the Madding Crowd

How to read Far from the Madding Crowd section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Far from the Madding Crowd