In December 1872, Thomas Hardy received a message from Sir Leslie Stephen, editor of Cornhill Magazine, requesting that he write a novel to be published serially for Cornhill’s readers. Hardy wrote back with his idea of a new tale, a story of “a young woman-farmer, a shepherd, and a sergeant of cavalry,” set to take place in the fictional region of Wessex (Hardy 1928, 125). In January 1874, readers saw the first chapters of this story published under the title, Far from the Madding Crowd. Hardy’s work continued to be published serially before seeing the novel format in November 1874.
Hardy’s use of the title, Far from the Madding Crowd, emerged from Thomas Gray’s 1751 poem, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. 150 years later, Hardy’s pastoral tale remains influential, seeing itself at the center of literary discussions and adaptations.
Work cited
Hardy, Florence E. The Early Life of Thomas Hardy, 1840-1891. New York, The Macmillan Company, 1928. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
Check out the blog post about 150 Years of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd
