The Mayor of Casterbridge

'Happiness was but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain.'

Published in 1886 and widely considered Thomas Hardy's masterpiece, The Mayor of Casterbridge is a profound meditation on fate, guilt and redemption.

After selling his wife and child at a country fair in a drunken rage, the proud yet regretful Michael Henchard swears to atone for his actions. Years in the future, now a new man in his sobriety, Henchard is a prosperous merchant and the respected mayor of the village of Casterbridge. But when his past demons begin to haunt him, and a professional rival enters the scene, Henchard's jealousy and pride threaten to unravel everything he has built. A powerful depiction of how one reckless act can shape a lifetime, The Mayor of Casterbridge is a poignant tragedy of love, remorse and lost hope – a story that stays with its readers long past the last word.
Thomas Hardy (1840 – 1928) was an English poet and novelist. Heavily influenced by the Romantic and Victorian Realist movements, his writing is characterised by evocative language, rich imagery and innovative narrative structures. Hardy was socially conscious and highly critical of Victorian society, often using his writing to depict the lives of people living in deprived rural areas of England.