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Far from the Madding Crowd

Chapter XXXVI · Chapter 36

Chapter 36 of Far from the Madding Crowd is here in full — 523 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Thomas Hardy • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Far from the Madding Crowd

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXXVI Reading 1/104

Far from the Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy

Cover illustration for Far from the Madding Crowd

Chapter XXXVI

Chapter 36

Chapter 36 of Far from the Madding Crowd is here in full — 523 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury. It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver. The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage. That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt. A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

Far from the Madding Crowd

Chapter XXXVI · Chapter 36

Chapter 36 of Far from the Madding Crowd is here in full — 523 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/104 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

Line 2

It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

Line 3

The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

Line 4

That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

Line 5

A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

All words in this reading · 74

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

a

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

abnormal

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

aisle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

an

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

and

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

announcement

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

as

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

bachelor's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

be

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

been

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

Boldwood

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

bough

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

brought

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

but

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

came

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

cathedral

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

Christmas

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

Christmas-Eve

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

CONVERGING

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

COURSES

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

croquet-playing

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

day

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

doubt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

evening

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

for

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

from

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

give

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

giver

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

going

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

great

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

had

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

hall

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

hear

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

home

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

I

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

if

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

in

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

incongruous

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

intended

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

It

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

jovial

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

judge

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

large

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

made

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

mistletoe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

much-respected

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

no

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

not

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

of

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

one

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

or

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

parish

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

parties

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

party

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

rarity

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

room

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

should

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

some

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

sound

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

stage

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

subject

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

suspended

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

talk

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

that

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

the

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

there

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

this

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

to

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

truly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.

upon

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound, as if one should hear of croquet-playing in a cathedral aisle, or that some much-respected judge was going upon the stage.

was

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

Weatherbury

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CONVERGING COURSES I. Christmas-Eve came, and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the great subject of talk in Weatherbury.

wonder

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was not that the rarity of Christmas parties in the parish made this one a wonder, but that Boldwood should be the giver.

woods

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A large bough of mistletoe had been brought from the woods that day, and suspended in the hall of the bachelor’s home.

Chapter 36 of Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy holds 523 sentences, grouped into 105 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 36 of Far from the Madding Crowd contain?

Chapter 36 holds 523 sentences of Far from the Madding Crowd, unabridged, divided into 105 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 36 of Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 523 sentences, grouped into 105 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 36 of Far from the Madding Crowd?

Work through the 105 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 105 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 36 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 36 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

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 7856 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 1572 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

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Listen and tap

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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.