Far from the Madding Crowd: The Wild and Wanton Edition

by Pan Zador, Thomas Hardy

An earthy tale of country loving in 1870s England; Bathsheba Everdene is that unusual combination—a beautiful young woman who is also mistress of her own farm. Proposals of marriage are not long in coming, but with her lack of experience in judging men, how can she possibly choose between the solid young shepherd Gabriel Oak, the dignified squire Farmer Boldwood, or the dashing sergeant of Hussars, Francis Troy?

Now with added explicit scenes of seduction, shameless pursuit, and solitary frustration, as we follow Bathsheba’s initiation into physical love.

496 pages, ebook

First published July 1, 2013

Reviews

[Micah Persell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this book. I had never read Far from the Madding Crowd before this "wild and wanton" edition, and, despite the fact that I have a Masters degree in literature, I did not expect to enjoy the classic as much as I did. It is a sad fact that many classics do not stand up to the same enjoyment amongst today's fast-paced reads that they experienced in eras past (I mean, really, Nathaniel Hawthorne? 5 pages to describe a butterfly?). Far from the Madding Crowd is, at its base, a pastoral romance (romance in its literary meaning, not ooh-la-la romance), which naturally lends itself to heightened emotion and erotic love. Pan Zador recognized this and pulled the romance (the ooh-la-la kind) from the subtext of the book with masterful artist strokes. Her voice is true to Hardy's work and weaves itself seamlessly amongst the trials of Bathsheba and her three fellows to create a truly compelling read. Lovers of the original Far from the Madding Crowd will find new things to love in this edition, and the untried reader will find a new favorite. There is much to recommend in Zador's "wild and wanton" edition!