The Mayor of Casterbridge

Set in rural nineteenth-century Wessex, Thomas Hardy's classic novel follows the rise and tragic unraveling of Michael Henchard. In a moment of drunken recklessness at a country fair, the young hay-trusser commits an act he regrets for the rest of his life by auctioning off his wife and infant child. Determined to atone, Henchard embraces sobriety and hard work, eventually climbing to wealth, prominence, and the office of mayor.

Yet, despite his material success, Henchard cannot leave his past behind. Over the years, stubborn pride, secret guilt, and rash decisions continue to undermine his relationships and status. This edition, published in the Oxford Progressive English Readers series at Level 5, makes Hardy's poignant study of character and rural English society accessible to developing readers and literature students.