Product Description

"The Mayor of Casterbridge" is conventionally understood as being indebted to the forms of tragedy. Following the intertwined fates of its various protagonists, Thomas Hardy's narrative weaves its various strands together as these lead inexorably to the ultimate downfall of Michael Henchard. The essays in this casebook showcase balanced evaluations of Hardy, from a variety of theoretically informed positions such as Marxism, feminism, phenomenology and psychoanalysis, as well as providing reassessments of the novel's structures and concerns. The introduction situates the novel in relation to the history of critical reception, of both Hardy's work in general and the novel in particular. In addition, it addresses the ways in which critical work on Hardy since the 1970s has sought to reassess the novelist, while complicating the reader's understanding and appreciation of Hardy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1901380 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

John Sutherland, University of London
"Hardy requires annotation and careful contextual placing...noted Victorian scholar Norman Page supplies this admirably."

About the Author
JULIAN WOLFREYS is Associate Professor in the department of English at the University of Florida. He is series editor of the Transitions series. AE(00): J

Customer Reviews

Don't over look the minor characters in this book!
The Mayor of Casterbridge, as well as being a fantastic read, has a lot to say about human nature and the way that human beings interact with one another. It's about a man who makes mistakes and the way that he and the people he loves must pay for these mistakes over a life time.

Each individual has a colourful surface character and a personality that just begs to be explored beyond that. In my opinion, the Furmity Woman and Solomon Longways contribute as much to the charm of the novel as the main protagonists. As the story unfolds we see the lives of each member of the cast entangled by the passions and pretensions of Michael Henchard.

Whilst not as dark a tale as Jude the Obscure, it has as much to teach us about human nature. And the moral of the story? Well, you'll have to read it and decide for yourself!

This is a good novel by Hardy, proabably best read for class
I had to read this book for my 12th grade english class. I had never read Hardy before but I found the book very interesting. The details seemed a little overwhelming, but it is Hardy after all. The plot and characters of book are very well developed and are good for comparing to other tragedies. Overall I enjoyed this book for its story and good literary merit.

El mejor The Mayor of Casterbridge
Hardy had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the English countryside. He was also able to put into words the fleeting thoughts we all have, but find difficult to express. Consequently, some of the long descriptive passages may be off-putting to some. However, the story is a humdinger and should be savoured at a leisurely pace.
Tony Britton has done a wonderful job of bringing the text to life in the audiobook. He has skilfully animated each character - major and minor.