The Mayor of Casterbridge

Name: The Mayor of Casterbridge
Author: Thomas Hardy

The Life and Death of a Man of Character

Thomas Hardy

English · 1886 · Fiction

Thomas Hardy's novel follows Michael Henchard, a hay-trusser whose early rash act shadows his later life as mayor, read for its tragic intensity.

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Chapter IOne evening of late summer, before the nineteenth century had reached…
Chapter IIThe morning sun was streaming through the crevices of the canvas when…
Chapter IIIThe high road into the village of Weydon-Priors was again carpeted…
Chapter IVHenchard’s wife acted for the best, but she had involved herself in…
Chapter VA few score yards brought them to the spot where the town band was…
Chapter VINow the group outside the window had within the last few minutes been…
Chapter VIIElizabeth-Jane and her mother had arrived some twenty minutes…
Chapter VIIIThus they parted; and Elizabeth-Jane and her mother remained each in…
Chapter IXWhen Elizabeth-Jane opened the hinged casement next morning the…
Chapter XWhile she still sat under the Scotchman’s eyes a man came up to the…
Chapter XIThe Ring at Casterbridge was merely the local name of one of the…
Chapter XIIOn entering his own door after watching his wife out of sight, the…
Chapter XIIIThe cottage which Michael Henchard hired for his wife Susan under her…
Chapter XIVA Martinmas summer of Mrs. Henchard’s life set in with her entry into…
Chapter XVAt first Miss Newson’s budding beauty was not regarded with much…
Chapter XVIOn this account Henchard’s manner towards Farfrae insensibly became…
Chapter XVIIElizabeth-Jane had perceived from Henchard’s manner that in assenting…
Chapter XVIIIThere came a shock which had been foreseen for some time by…
Chapter XIXHenchard and Elizabeth sat conversing by the fire. It was three weeks…
Chapter XXOf all the enigmas which ever confronted a girl there can have been…
Chapter XXIAs a maxim glibly repeated from childhood remains practically…
Chapter XXIIWe go back for a moment to the preceding night, to account for…
Chapter XXIIIA conjecture that her visitor might be some other person had, indeed…
Chapter XXIVPoor Elizabeth-Jane, little thinking what her malignant star had done…
Chapter XXVThe next phase of the supersession of Henchard in Lucetta’s heart was…
Chapter XXVIIt chanced that on a fine spring morning Henchard and Farfrae met in…
Chapter XXVIIIt was the eve of harvest. Prices being low Farfrae was buying. As…
Chapter XXVIIIThe next morning Henchard went to the Town Hall below Lucetta’s…
Chapter XXIXAt this hour Lucetta was bounding along the road to Port-Bredy just…
Chapter XXXFarfrae’s words to his landlady had referred to the removal of his…
Chapter XXXIThe retort of the furmity-woman before the magistrates had spread…
Chapter XXXIITwo bridges stood near the lower part of Casterbridge town. The…
Chapter XXXIIIAt this date there prevailed in Casterbridge a convivial…
Chapter XXXIVNext morning, accordingly, she rose at five o’clock and went into the…
Chapter XXXVAs Donald stated, Lucetta had retired early to her room because of…
Chapter XXXVIReturning from her appointment Lucetta saw a man waiting by the lamp…
Chapter XXXVIISuch was the state of things when the current affairs of Casterbridge…
Chapter XXXVIIIThe proceedings had been brief—too brief—to Lucetta whom an…
Chapter XXXIXWhen Farfrae descended out of the loft breathless from his encounter…
Chapter XLLong before this time Henchard, weary of his ruminations on the…
Chapter XLIHenchard went home. The morning having now fully broke he lit his…
Chapter XLIIBut the emotional conviction that he was in Somebody’s hand began to…
Chapter XLIIIWhat Henchard saw thus early was, naturally enough, seen at a little…
Chapter XLIVMeanwhile, the man of their talk had pursued his solitary way…
Chapter XLVIt was about a month after the day which closed as in the last…

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The Mayor of Casterbridge

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