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The Mayor of Casterbridge

By Thomas Hardy
Series: Oxford World's Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Mayor of Casterbridge tells the gripping tale of Michael Henchard, a man whose impulsive sale of his wife and child at a fair sets a tragic chain of events in motion. Eighteen years later, Henchard has risen to prominence in the town of Casterbridge but struggles to reconcile with his past. His efforts to make amends are complicated by his stubborn nature and the challenges of love and business in a changing world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel is ideal for readers who appreciate classic British literature, tragic heroes, and stories exploring complex human emotions and moral dilemmas in the 19th century.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Mayor of Casterbridge opens with the dramatic scene of Michael Henchard, an out-of-work hay-trusser, rashly declaring, 'The woman is no good to me. Who'll have her?' In a drunken stupor at a local fair, he impulsively sells his wife Susan and baby daughter.

Eighteen years later, Susan and her daughter return to find he has risen to prominence as the most esteemed man in Casterbridge. Henchard attempts to atone for his youthful misdeeds, but his unaltered impulsiveness continues to complicate his personal and business affairs. Though Henchard is destined to be a tragic modern-day hero, struggling to adapt to the emerging commercial world, his journey ultimately leads towards love.

This edition stands out as the only critically established text of the novel, meticulously crafted through an extensive study of the manuscript along with Hardy's numerous revisions.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years, Oxford World's Classics has offered readers an unparalleled selection of literature from around the world. Each economically priced volume reflects Oxford's dedication to scholarship, offering the most accurate text along with a host of invaluable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, comprehensive notes to illuminate the text, current bibliographies for further exploration, and much more.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780199537037

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 August 2008

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Oxford University Press

Illustration: 1 map

Contributors:

  • Edited by Dale Kramer
  • Introduction by Pamela Dalziel

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 19.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 432

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Series: Oxford World's Classics Thomas Hardy

About the Author

Pamela Dalziel is the General Editor of the Clarendon Dickens Edition. She has published numerous articles on Hardy and edited Hardy's An Indiscretion in the Life of an Heiress and Other Stories (OWC, 1994) and A Pair of Blue Eyes (Penguin, 1998).

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