▁be ▁set ▁in ▁Thomas ▁Hard y ' s ▁W esse x ▁in ▁rural ▁south west ▁England . ▁It ▁de als ▁in ▁them es ▁of ▁love , ▁honour ▁and ▁bet ray al , ▁against ▁a ▁back drop ▁of ▁the ▁seem ingly ▁id yl lic , ▁but ▁often ▁har sh , ▁real ities ▁of ▁a ▁far ming ▁community ▁in ▁Victor ian ▁England . ▁It ▁describes ▁the ▁life ▁and ▁relationships ▁of ▁Bath she ba ▁Ever den e ▁with ▁her ▁lon ely ▁neighbour ▁William ▁B old wood , ▁the ▁faithful ▁she ph erd ▁Gabriel ▁Oak , ▁and ▁the ▁thr ift less ▁soldier ▁Serge ant ▁T roy . ▁ ▁On ▁publication , ▁critical ▁not ices ▁were ▁pl ent iful ▁and ▁ ▁mostly ▁positive . ▁Hard y ▁re vised ▁the ▁text ▁extens ively ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁edition ▁and ▁made ▁further ▁changes ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁edition . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁listed ▁at ▁number ▁ 4 8 ▁on ▁the ▁BBC ' s ▁survey ▁The ▁Big ▁Read . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁book ▁finished ▁ 1 0 th ▁on ▁the ▁Guardian ' s ▁list ▁of ▁greatest ▁love ▁stories ▁of ▁all ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁has ▁been ▁dram at ised ▁several ▁times , ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁Oscar - n omin ated ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁film ▁directed ▁by ▁John ▁Schles inger . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁Me eting , ▁part ing ▁and ▁re unit ing ▁Gabriel ▁Oak ▁is ▁a