Most Popular Books by Thomas Hardy

In this tale of star-crossed love, Hardy sets the emotional lives of his two lovers against the background of the stellar universe. The unhappily married Lady Constantine breaks all the rules of social decorum when she falls in love with Swithin St. Cleeve, an astronomer who is ten years her junior. Her husband''s death leaves the lovers free to marry, but the discovery of a legacy forces them apart. This is Hardy''s most complete treatment of the theme of love across the class and age divide and the fullest expression of his fascination with science and astronomy. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The four seasons of the Wessex year form the backdrop for the delightful romance of Dick Dewy and Fancy Day. The ups and downs of their courtship are set alongside the story of the rustics who form the church choir.

The phrase "life''s little ironies" is now proverbial, but it was coined by Hardy as the title for this, his third volume of short stories, including such classics as An Imaginative Woman and A Tragedy of Two Ambitions. Unified by his quintessential irony, strong visual sense, and engaging characters, these stories deal with the tragic and the humorous, the metaphysical and the magical. This edition is the first to be based on a critical examination of all available manuscript and printed versions of the texts.

‘You are ambitious, Eustacia–no not exactly ambitious, luxurious. I ought to be of the same vein, to make you happy, I suppose’ Tempestuous Eustacia Vye passes her days dreaming of passionate love and the escape it may bring from the small community of Egdon Heath. Hearing that Clym Yeobright is to return from Paris, she sets her heart on marrying him, believing that through him she can leave rural life and find fulfilment elsewhere. But she is to be disappointed, for Clym has dreams of his own, and they have little in common with Eustacia’s. Their unhappy marriage causes havoc in the lives of those close to them, in particular Damon Wildeve, Eustacia’s former lover, Clym’s mother and his cousin Thomasin. The Return of the Native illustrates the tragic potential of romantic illusion and how its protagonists fail to recognize their opportunities to control their own destinies. Penny Boumelha’s introduction examines the classical and mythological references and the interplay of class and sexuality in the novel. This edition, essentially Hardy’s original book version of the novel, also includes notes, a glossary, chronology and bibliography. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Thomas Hardy''s fourth novel and first major literary success, Far from the Madding Crowd tells the story of Gabriel Oak, a young shepherd, and Bathsheba Everdene, a proud and beautiful young woman. Their paths cross several times throughout their lives, helping one another even as they are plagued by misunderstandings and misfortunes, including bad marriages, secrets, and loss. Though the novel contains violence and tragedy, its overall themes and mood are more optimistic than many of Hardy''s later and darker novels.

One of Hardy''s most powerful novels, "The Mayor of Casterbridge" opens with a shocking and haunting scene: In a drunken rage, Michael Henchard sells his wife and daughter to a visiting sailor at a local fair. When they return to Casterbridge some nineteen years later, Henchard--having gained power and success as the mayor--finds he cannot erase the past or the guilt that consumes him. "The Mayor of Casterbridge" is a rich, psychological novel about a man whose own flaws combine with fate to cause his ruin. This Modern Library Paperback Classic reprints the authoritative 1912 Wessex edition, as well as Hardy''s map of Wessex.

Tess of the d''Urbervilles , by Thomas Hardy, is a poignant exploration of fate, social hypocrisy, and the tragic consequences of rigid moral codes. The novel follows Tess Durbeyfield, a young woman of humble origins who discovers a connection to a noble lineage. Her journey, marked by hardship and societal judgment, unfolds against the backdrop of a Victorian England grappling with shifting values and enduring injustices. Through Tess''s experiences, Hardy critiques the harsh treatment of women and the double standards imposed by a patriarchal society. Since its publication, the novel has been acclaimed for its emotional depth and naturalistic portrayal of rural life. Hardy''s lyrical prose and powerful symbolism highlight the tension between individual agency and societal expectations. Tess emerges as a complex, dignified character whose suffering exposes the cruelty and indifference of the world around her. The novel''s lasting relevance lies in its examination of innocence, guilt, and the human cost of moral rigidity. Tess of the d''Urbervilles continues to resonate with readers for its unflinching portrayal of injustice and its profound empathy for those silenced by convention.

This classic novel tells the story of how the poor rural couple John and Joan Durbeyfield become convinced that they are descended from the ancient family of d’Urbervilles. They encourage their innocent daughter Tess to cement a connection with the d’Urberville family, including their unprincipled son Alec, with tragic consequences. “A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented,” as Hardy subtitled the novel, represented a direct challenge to conventional Victorian notions of sexuality and femininity. This is a revised, updated, and expanded Broadview edition that highlights a feminist interpretation of the novel in an extensive introduction. The range of historical appendices (including contemporary articles, letters, maps, news stories, and reviews) will greatly enhance a reader’s understanding of the text.

"I’m an outsider to the end of my days!" Jude Fawley’s hopes of a university education are lost when he is trapped into marrying the earthy Arabella, who later abandons him. Moving to the town of Christminster where he finds work as a stonemason, Jude meets and falls in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead, a sensitive, freethinking "New Woman." Refusing to marry merely for the sake of religious convention, Jude and Sue decide instead to live together, but they are shunned by society and poverty soon threatens to ruin them. Jude the Obscure, Hardy’s last novel, caused a public furor when it was first published, with its fearless and challenging exploration of class and sexual relationships. This edition uses the unbowdlerized text of the first volume edition of 1895, and also includes a list for further reading, appendices and a glossary. In his introduction, Dennis Taylor examines biblical allusions and the critique of religion in Jude the Obscure, and its critical reception that led Hardy to abandon novel writing. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The anti-hero, Aeneas Manston, as physically alluring as he is evil, fascinates the innocent Cytherea, though she is in love with another man. When he cannot seduce her, Manston resorts to deception and blackmail, and ever more desperate measures to achieve his ends.

Set in the secluded forest community of Little Hintock, Thomas Hardy''s "The Woodlanders inextricably links the dramatic English landscape with the story of a woman caught between two rivals of radically different social statures. Grace Melbury is promised to her longtime companion, Giles Winterborne, a local woodlander and a gentle, steadfast man. When her socially motivated father pressures her to wed the ambitious doctor Edred Fitzpiers, Grace''s loyalties shift--and her decision leads to tumultuous consequences. With its explorations of class and gender, lust and betrayal, "The Woodlanders is one of Hardy''s most vivid and powerful works. This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the text of the 1912 Wessex edition and includes Hardy''s map of fictional Wessex. "The finest English novel."--Arnold Bennett

Tess of the d''Urbervilles : A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented is a novel by Thomas Hardy. It initially appeared in a censored and serialised version, published by the British illustrated newspaper The Graphic in 1891 and in book form in 1892. Though now considered a major nineteenth-century English novel and possibly Hardy''s fictional masterpiece, Tess of the d''Urbervilles received mixed reviews when it first appeared, in part because it challenged the sexual morals of late Victorian England.First published serially in 1891 in "The Graphic", an illustrated British newspaper, "Tess of the d''Urbervilles" is one of the last novels written by Thomas Hardy. It is the titular story of Teresa "Tess" Durbeyfield, the oldest child of John and Joan Durbeyfield. The Durbeyfields are a poor family living in rural England who are led to believe by a local parson that they may actually be related to the d''Urbervilles, a noble Norman family. Trying to capitalize on this knowledge the Durbeyfields send a reluctant Tess to work at the d''Urberville''s estate, a rural mansion in the nearby town of Trantridge. Tess is able to secure a position as a poultry keeper on the estate when she draws the interest of the family''s libertine son, Alec. Tess dislikes Alec but endures his unwanted advances in order to help her family, a compromise that will ultimately lead to her ruin. Because it challenged the sexual morals of late Victorian England, "Tess of the d''Urbervilles" was harshly criticized following its initial publication, however since that time it has come be regarded by many as Thomas Hardy''s fictional masterpiece.

Hardy''s classic novel follows Bathsheba Everdene, a young woman with plenty of men trying to marry her. But she has a small problem: she doesn''t love them. It''s the story of love and scandal just as relevant today as it was over a hundred years ago. Far from the Madding Crowd has long been considered one of Hardy''s most successful and thematic works. This edition is annotated with a short biography about the life and times of Thomas Hardy. It also includes a plot summary.

In a fit of drunken anger, Michael Henchard sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas at a country fair. Over the course of the following years, he manages to establish himself as a respected and prosperous pillar of the community of Casterbridge, but behind his success there always lurk the shameful secret of his past and a personality prone to self-destructive pride and temper. Subtitled ''A Story of a Man of Character'', Hardy''s powerful and sympathetic study of the heroic but deeply flawed Henchard is also an intensely dramatic work, tragically played out against the vivid backdrop of a close-knit Dorsetshire town.