Fellow-Townsmen »

Victorian novelist and poet Thomas Hardy focused much of his work -- including classics like Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) and Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891) on man's futile struggle against unseen forces. Of his rather unromantic outlook on life, Hardy once said, "Pessimism is, in brief, playing the sure game. You cannot lose at it; you may gain. It is the only view of life in which you can never be disappointed."

Subtly chronicling the cruel twists and turns of human fate, Fellow-Townsmen exemplifies Hardy’s enduring perfection of his literary craft—and the artistic brilliance of his passionate portrayal of the trials of the human heart. Barnet and Downe are old and good friends in the Wessex town of Port Bredy—yet fate has treated them differently. Barnet, a prosperous man, has been unlucky in love and now lives with the consequences of a judicious but loveless marriage. Downe, a poor solicitor, is radiantly happy, with a doting wife and adoring children. A chance meeting one night causes them to reflect on their disparate lots in life and sets in motion a chain of events that will change their lives forever. Both a meticulous record of English provincial customs and a melancholic reflection on the brevity of human happiness, this short work displays all the artistry of Hardy’s major fiction. Thomas Hardy is one of Britain’s greatest authors; among his most famous works are Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure.

Library Journal

Hardy's 1880 tale finds two longtime friends looking back on their lives, which, despite their similar backgrounds, couldn't be more different. One has been lucky in business but has a loveless marriage; the other doesn't have a nickel to his name but has been graced with the riches of a loving wife and family. Dating back to 1844, Rappaccini's Daughter is part romance and part Gothic horror story. A student discovers a hidden garden and a beautiful woman who seemingly lives in it but soon learns that both are not what they seem. This edition also includes Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown and A Select Party. For literature collections. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.