HARDY ThomasBiblio.com
84 résultats
189743855Osgood McIlvaine & Co. 1897. 8vo. First Edition thus on laid paper with etched frontispiece original tissue guard present and full-page map in the text endpapers lightly spotted; original series binding of decorative dark-green ribbed cloth gilt 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt on upper cover gilt back gilt top uncut a remarkably bright clean copy. With two relevant cuttings mounted on rear endpapers. Osgood's 'Wessex Novels' is the first uniform and complete edition of Hardy's works. 'The edition is an important one. The text of every novel was thoroughly and carefully revised the topography names and distances corrected where necessary chapters frequently retitled and much rewriting done. In addition Hardy prepared a special preface for each volume' Purdy p.281; here the Preface is particularly important for its indication of sources. Each of the sixteen volumes has an etched frontispiece by Macbeth-Raeburn depicting a scene from the novel drawn on the spot in this case 'The Budmouth Harbour of the Story' and a map of Wessex drawn by Hardy himself. In terms of book production these are undoubtedly the finest trade editions of Hardy's works. ALL VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES ARE SCARCE ESPECIALLY IN THIS CONDITION. See Purdy pp.35 281. [Osgood McIlvaine & Co.], hardcover
189721960Osgood McIlvaine 1897. 8vo. First Edition thus on laid paper with an etched frontispiece original tissue guard present and a full-page map in the text endpapers moderately spotted; original series binding of decorative dark-green ribbed cloth gilt 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt on upper cover gilt back gilt top uncut a remarkably bright clean copy. Osgood's 'Wessex Novels' is the first uniform and complete edition of Hardy's works. 'The edition is an important one. The text of every novel was thoroughly and carefully revised the topography names and distances corrected where necessary chapters frequently retitled and much rewriting done. In addition Hardy prepared a special preface for each volume' Purdy p.281; here the Preface is particularly important for its indication of sources. Each of the sixteen volumes has an etched frontispiece by Macbeth-Raeburn depicting a scene from the novel drawn on the spot in this case 'The Budmouth Harbour of the Story' and a map of Wessex drawn by Hardy himself. In terms of book production these are undoubtedly the finest trade editions of Hardy's works. All volumes in this series are scarce especially in this condition. See Purdy pp.35 281. Osgood McIlvaine, hardcover
191322837Macmillan 1913. 8vo. First Edition on laid paper with etched frontispiece original tissue guard present and double-page map in the text neat signature onj front free endpaper; original series binding of decorative ribbed dark-green cloth gilt 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt on upper cover gilt back gilt top uncut covers fractionally age-scuffed else a very good bright clean crisp copy. With 2pp publisher's advertisement at end. Osgood's 'Wessex Novels' is the first uniform and complete edition of Hardy's works. 'The edition is an important one. The text of every novel was thoroughly and carefully revised the topography names and distances corrected where necessary chapters frequently retitled and much rewriting done. In addition Hardy prepared a special preface for each volume' Purdy p.281. Each of the sixteen original volumes has an etched frontispiece by Macbeth-Raeburn depicting a scene from the novel drawn on the spot; in this case 'The Castle of Mai-Dun' and a map of Wessex drawn by Hardy himself. In terms of book production these are undoubtedly the finest trade editions of Hardy's works. Although published by Hardy's subsequent publisher Macmillan the present volume was produced in matching format as 'Volume XVIII' to retain uniformity the last volume of Hardy's work to be so issued. 'A Changed Man' collects for the first time twelve short stories that had been published previously in serial form together with a new short Prefatory Note by the author. In addition to the three tales mentioned in the title the others are 'Alicia's Diary' 'The Grave by the Handpost' 'Enter a Dragoon' 'A Tryst at an Ancient Earthwork' 'What the Shepherd saw' 'A Committee-Man of the Terror' 'Master John Horseleigh Knight' 'The Duke's Reappearance' and 'A Mere Interlude'. The stories date from 1881 'What the Shepherd saw'; the last two 'A Changed Man' and 'Enter a Dragoon' both 1899 mark the close of Hardy's work in prose fiction. ALL VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES ARE SCARCE IN THIS CONDITION. See Purdy pp.151-157 281. Macmillan, hardcover
189950895Harpers 1899. 8vo. on laid paper with etched frontispiece and full-page map of Wessex in the text; original decorative green ribbed cloth gilt 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt on upper cover gilt back gilt top uncut a very good bright clean crisp copy. 'Wessex Novels' 1895-6 published by Osgood McIlvaine UK and Harpers USA is the the first uniform and complete edition of Hardy's works. Each of the sixteen volumes has an etched frontispiece by Macbeth-Raeburn depicting a scene from the novel drawn on the spot in this case 'The Weatherbury of the Story' and a map of Wessex drawn by Hardy himself. In terms of book production these are undoubtedly the finest trade editions of Hardy's works. Sheets of the Osgood edition with an altered title-page were published in the USA by Harpers Osgood's successors. See Purdy pp.279-282. ALL VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES ARE SCARCE ESPECIALLY IN THIS CONDITION. Harpers, hardcover
2007015915Great Britain: The Old Stile Press 2007. Limited to 200 numbered copies. Book measures 36x34.cm. Unpaginated illustrated throughout. Bound in original publishers illustrated cloth. Binding in near fine condition. Internally pages in fine condition. House in original publishers green cloth case. Case lightly marked. A very nice near fine copy. . Limited Edition. Hardcover. Very Good Plus Near Fine. Illus. by Mark Cazalet . Large Quarto. The Old Stile Press Hardcover
192347329Macmillan 1923. 4to. First Edition on laid paper with frontispiece original tissue guard present and a plate by the author a little light offsetting from fold-ins to free endpapers; pictorial green cloth gilt gilt back a near fine copy in unclipped very lightly age-soiled dustwrapper. Hardy's great Arthurian verse drama is unusual among his works in that the two illustrations - 'Tintagel Castle' as frontispiece repeated in gilt on front board and the castle's 'Great Hall' - are the work of the author himself. VERY SCARCE IN THIS CONDITION. Purdy pp.227-231. Macmillan, hardcover
189631520London: Osgood McIlvaine and Company 1896. First Edition early state with partially black pages unnumbered in gatherings A B and C but numbered in E through H. With an etched illustration as frontispiece by H. Macbeth-Raeburn and at the end a map of Wessex. 8vo in the original dark green ribbed cloth lettered in gilt on spine and with the floral gilt T/H decorative monogram on the upper cover edges untrimmed t.e.g. viii 516 map. A good copy the text a bit mellowed primarily at the prelims and the binding a bit shaken the cloth is dark green as issued and without fading though the rear cover appears a bit blemished in an area next to the spinesome wear to tghe spine panel endleaves with some of the usual browning to which the title is prone. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL CLOTH OF JUDE THE OBSCURE perhaps the most unbiased consideration in English fiction of the more complicated questions of sex.Hardy's knowledge of woman confirms him in a suspension of judgment; his knowledge of nature brings him nearer to the unchanging and consoling element in the world. His peasants have been compared with Shakespeare's; he has the Shakespearean sense of their placid existence with an unconscious wisdom in their close narrow and undistracted view of things. Osgood, McIlvaine and Company hardcover
10129MacMillan and Co Limited. London. 1926. Early reprint of the 1925 First edition. 8vo. 6.8 x 4.9 inches. Finely bound in early full brown Morocco. Raised bands to the spine each with gilt piping. Gilt lettering ruling and floral decorations to spine. Elaborate gilt flower and rule border on both boards. Marbled endpapers. Inner board turn ins with gilt rule and square design borders. All edges gilt. A fine copy in a beautiful early twentieth century leather binding. The binding is unsigned but certainly the work of a master bookbinder. Ma. MacMillan and Co, Limited. London. 1926 hardcover
189649451Osgood McIlvaine 1896. 8vo. First Edition on laid paper with etched frontispiece original tissue guard present and full-page map in the text; original dark green ribbed cloth upper board with 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt gilt back gilt top uncut expertly recased a very good bright clean crisp copy. Published as Vol. VIII in Osgood's 'Wessex Novels' the first uniform and complete edition of Hardy's works which had commenced publication the year before. 'The edition is an important one. The text of every novel was thoroughly and carefully revised the topography names and distances corrected where necessary chapters frequently retitled and much rewriting done. In addition Hardy prepared a special preface for each volume' Purdy p.281. Each of the sixteen volumes has an etched frontispiece by Macbeth-Raeburn depicting a scene from the novel drawn on the spot in this case 'The Christminster of the Story' and a map of Wessex drawn by Hardy himself. In terms of book production these are undoubtedly the finest trade editions of Hardy's works. See Purdy pp.86-91 281. [Osgood McIlvaine], hardcover
18738293Henry Holt New York 1873. 8vo. First US Edition Later Issue; original pictorial mustard cloth blocked and lettered in black backstrip lettered in gilt and black very neatly rebacked with old backstrip laid down original printed endpapers wholly preserved covers very lightly age-soiled but every detail of the blocking bright and clear corners very lightly bruised without material damage a remarkably bright clean copy. HARDY'S FIRST BOOK PUBLISHED IN THE US AND THE SECOND EDITION OF THE WORK OVERALL. Hardy's second novel 'Under the Greenwood Tree' was first published by Tinsley in 1872 one of the 'best press-noticed' books sold by that publisher. Under the terms of Tinsley's new agreement with Holt of New York it was then issued by the latter in their popular 'Leisure House' series in June 1873 the first of Hardy's works to be so issued in the US. His first novel 'Desperate Remedies' 1871 did not appear in the series until March 1874. From the series catalogue present on the front endpapers it is clear that this is a later issue at least 1881 since the list includes 'A Laodician'. Most volumes in the 'Leisure Hour' series were severally reissued with updated endpapers. This copy has been expertly rebacked. The original elaborately blocked backstrip is virtually complete with just a few millimetres missing at extreme head and tail. The original endpapers which carry a detailed catalogue of the 'Leisure Hour' series catalogue printed in red are all complete and virtually unmarked. The top edge is mildly dust-soiled but this does not extend to the text which also shows practically no trace of the usual foxing and spotting. A NOTABLE COPY AND A RARE SURVIVAL. See Purdy p.8 et seq. NCBEL III 981. Henry Holt, New York, hardcover
190651748Macmillan 1906-1928. 18 vols. 8vo. each volume with title in red and black and full-page map at end; plum cloth upper boards blocked and lettered in gilt and tooled in blind gilt backs gilt tops one ot two backstrips a little dulled else a very good bright clean set of this most attractive edition. The works comprise: NOVELS: Desperate Remedies; Under the Greenwood Tree; A Pair of Blue Eyes; Far From the Madding Crowd; The Hand of Ethelberta; The Return of the Native; The Trumpet-Major; A Laodicean; Two on a Tower; The Mayor of Casterbridge; The Woodlanders; Tess of the d'Urbervilles; Jude the Obscure; The Well-Beloved. SHORT STORIES: Wessex Tales; A Group of Noble Dames; Life's Litle Ironies; A Changed Man. Macmillan, hardcover
189025541London: Spencer Blackett 1890. First edition and being the first of Hardy's short story "The Melancholy Hussar of The German Legion". 8vo bound in contemporary three-quarter blue morocco and marbled boards gilt lettered in two compartments of spine wide gilt decorated raised bands t.e.g. Now housed in a fine custom clamshell box backed in blue morocco and gilt lettered. 211pp. The textblock in fine state being clean and uncommonly fresh solid and free of spotting or toning completely the antique binding a bit rubbed at the joints but still firm and sound at the lower spine tip there is a roughly three-quarter in chip to the leather. THE FIRST EDITION IN BOOK FORM OF THOMAS HARDY'S SHORT STORY WHICH WOULD LATER APPEAR IN "LIFE'S LITTLE IRONIES." It is also the first edition of the works by John Campbell and Annie Hector Alexander. <br> 'The Melancholy Hussar' first appeared in the Bristol Times but this is the first appearance in book form. It is an uncommon item for the Hardy collector to acquire. Spencer Blackett hardcover
190651745Macmillan 1906-1928. 20 vols. 8vo. each volume with title in red and black and full-page map at end; plum cloth upper boards blocked and lettered in gilt and tooled in blind gilt backs gilt tops a few volumes lightly rubbed else a very good bright clean set of this most attractive edition. The works comprise: NOVELS: Desperate Remedies; Under the Greenwood Tree; A Pair of Blue Eyes; Far From the Madding Crowd; The Hand of Ethelberta; The Return of the Native; The Trumpet-Major; A Laodicean; Two on a Tower; The Mayor of Casterbridge; The Woodlanders; Tess of the d'Urbervilles; Jude the Obscure; The Well-Beloved. SHORT STORIES: Wessex Tales; A Group of Noble Dames; Life's Litle Ironies; A Changed Man. DRAMAS: The Dynasts; The Queen of Cornwall. Macmillan, hardcover
192843616Macmillan 1928. 8vo. First Collected Edition with endpaper maps; handsomely bound in dark red full crushed morocco sides with gilt frame border back with raised bands second and fourth compartments lettered and ruled in gilt all other compartments tooled in gilt gilt top hand-made endpapers ribbon marker a most attractive copy ideal as a gift or for presentation. With 2pp. publisher's catalogue bound in at end. The endpaper maps are taken from the Wessex Edition. This is the first collected edition of Hardy's four collections of short stories: 'Wessex Tales' 'Life's Little Ironies' 'A Group of Noble Dames' and 'A Changed Man and other Tales'. It was published posthumously on 23 March 1928 at 7s. 6d. Purdy p.288 Macmillan, hardcover
196851693Folio Society 1968-1994. 18 volumes 8vo. First Edition thus with frontispieces wood-engravings in the text and endpaper maps; cloth upper boards blocked with corn-dolly device gilt back coloured endpapers coloured tops a near fine set in publisher's slip-cases blocked in gilt. The set comprises: The Mayor of Casterbridge 1968; The Return of the Native 1971; Far From the Madding Crowd 1985; Wessex Tales 1987; Tess of the d'Urbervilles 1988; Under the Greenwood Tree 1989; The Trumpet Major 1990; The Woodlanders 1991; Jude the Obscure 1992; A Pair of Blue Eyes/The Well-Beloved/Two on a Tower 1992; boxed set as 'Romances and Fantasies'; Desperate Remedies/The Hand of Ethelberta/A Laodicean 1993; boxed set as 'Novels of Ingenuity'; A Changed Man/Life's Little Ironies/A Group of Noble Dames; boxed set as 'Short Stories'. Folio 60: 248 294 545 583 607 629 654 681 698.5 709 716 744 773 769.5 896 respectively. COMPLETE SETS OF FIRST PRINTINGS ARE SCARCE. Folio Society, hardcover
202144846Folio Society 2021. 8vo. First Edition thus with coloured frontispiece 16 coloured plates and vignettes in the text; pictorial grey boards blocked in green red morocco back lettered in white green laid endpapers green ribbon marker a fine copy in publisher's blocked board slip-case. EDITION LIMITED TO 750 NUMBERED COPIES SIGNED BY MACFARLANE AND DONWOOD THIS COPY NO. 91. Folio Society, hardcover
1878014657London: Smith Elder & Co 1878. Volume 1 & 2 only. Books measure 19.5x14.cm. vi 303ppvi 297pp 2pp booklist half titles present fronts map in volume 1. Bound in original publishers brown cloth with black and gilt tooling. Both volumes rubbed worn with some loss hinge joints split. Internally inscription library bookplate endpaper joints split pages slightly loose. Both volumes in good condition. If you have volume 3 in the same cloth binding I would be interesed in purchasing. F. Cloth. Good Plus. 8vo. Smith Elder & Co Hardcover
190751770Macmillan 1907-1927. 26 of 27 vols. sm. 8vo. each volume with title in red and black and full-page map at end a few volumes with neat contemporary signatures on front free endpapers; plum cloth upper boards blocked in gilt and tooled in blind gilt backs gilt tops a few backstrips dulled else all very good bright clean copies. THE POCKET EDITION WANTING ONLY THE FINAL VOLUME 'WINTER WORDS'. The works comprise: NOVELS: Desperate Remedies; Under the Greenwood Tree; A Pair of Blue Eyes; Far From the Madding Crowd; The Hand of Ethelberta; The Return of the Native; The Trumpet-Major; A Laodicean; Two on a Tower; The Mayor of Casterbridge; The Woodlanders; Tess of the d'Urbervilles; Jude the Obscure; The Well-Beloved. SHORT STORIES: Wessex Tales; A Group of Noble Dames; Life's Litle Ironies; A Changed Man. DRAMA: The Dynasts; The Queen of Cornwall. VERSE: Wessex Poems & Poems of the Past and Present; Time's Laughingstocks; Satires of Circumstance; Moments of Vision; Humas Shows Far Phantasies. Macmillan, hardcover
188149577Sampson Low Marston Searle & Rivington 1881-1882 1881. 3 vols. 8vo. First Edition thus with illustrations all save one full-page; original brown cloth upper boards and backstrips framed blocked and lettered in gilt and black black endpapers expertly rebacked with old backstrips laid down a remarkably bright clean copy. FIRST PUBLICATION OF HARDY'S EIGHTH NOVEL preceding the US edition of Harper's and the later three-decker. Harpers Monthly Magazine. European Edition. Vol. I: December 1880 - May 1881; Vol. II: June November 1991; Vol. III: December 1881 May 1882. One illustration was omitted from the US serial version. All illustrations were omitted and the sub-title added when the novel was published in book form 3 vols. 1881. COMPLETE SETS ARE SCARCE IN THIS CONDITION. See Purdy pp.37-38. Please note that additional postage will be required for shipping outside the UK. Sampson Low Marston Searle & Rivington, 1881-1882 hardcover
189823362New York and London: Harper and Brothers 1898. First Edition. With 30 illustrations by the author. 8vo publisher’s original blue ribbed cloth the spine lettered in gilt upper cover with Hardy’s floral monogram device in gilt. xi 228 pp. A very handsome and pleasing copy internally very fine and essentially pristine the cloth very well preserved spine just a tad mellowed. FIRST EDITION IN THE ORIGINAL CLOTH. A lovely copy of Hardy’s first significant publishing venture as a poet. Though better known now as a novelist Hardy rated poetry above fiction. Like many of his novels the landscapes of Dorset echoes throughout his writing. The poetry is scarce unadorned and surprisingly modern. Though first published in 1898 it contains poems he’d been working on since the 1860s. Harper and Brothers hardcover
188125542London: Sampson Low Marston Searle and Rivington 1881. 3 volumes. First English edition. 8vo bound in antique three-quarter blue morocco over blue marbled boards the spines are gilt lettered in two compartments and have wide gilt decorated raised bands t.e.g. the original slate gray cloth to the upper cover and spine of Volume I has been retained and bound in. Now housed in a fine morocco backed foldover case. 312; 275; 269 pp. A handsome and well preserved set internally fine with just a bit of normal age mellowing to the text the original half-titles retained the antique bindings with some evidence of age or use at the joints and extremities. FIRST EDITION OF HARDY'S MOST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL. Unlike his Wessex novels this is work is set in the more technologically advanced contemporaneous age so the plot exhibits devices uncommon among Hardy's novels such as falsified telegrams and faked photographs. It was originally published in monthly installments in the European edition of Harper's New Monthly Magazine from December 1880 to December 1881. Due to this arrangement Harper was able to publish the work in book form first but this English edition was only issued a few weeks later and contains revisions made by Hardy not included in Harper's issue. It is the only three-decker issue published and the print run is presumed to be only around 1000 copies. Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington hardcover
18961262721896. First Edition. HARDY Thomas. Jude the Obscure. London: Osgood McIlvaine 1896. Octavo original gilt-stamped blue-green cloth top edge gilt uncut. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. $2200.First edition first issue of Hardy's last work of fiction with map and lovely frontispiece etching by H. Macbeth-Raeburn in original cloth. The copy of Frank J. Hogan with his morocco-gilt bookplate.Jude the Obscure ""was begun as a serial story in Harper's Magazine at the end of November 1894 and was continued in monthly parts. But as in the case of Tess of the d'Urbervilles the magazine version was for various reasons abridged and modified in some degree the present edition being the first in which the whole appears as originally written"" Webb 83. The novel was received with mixed reviews due to its disturbing content and implications that it was autobiographical. Burned by a bishop and banned for its ""indecency"" Jude became Hardy's last work of fiction Smith-Seymour 547. First issue with Osgood's name on verso of title and gilt-stamped on spine. Mixed first and second state mostly first with seven of the first eight signatures containing page numbers on the partially blank pages; mixed states are very common Purdy 87. Purdy 86-91. Sadleir 1108. Sterling 456. Wolff 2979. Hogan Catalogue Part II April 24 1945 item 357. The copy of esteemed collector and attorney Frank J. Hogan 1877-1944 with his morocco-gilt bookplate laid in. By the time of his death the Hogan Library was one of the world's most valuable private collections; the books were dispersed at auction in 1945 and 1946. Owner pencil signature.Ink stains to pages 68-69; a few pages roughly opened. Cloth clean gilt bright. A handsome near-fine copy with excellent provenance. hardcover
19131262731913. First Edition. HARDY Thomas. A Changed Man The Waiting Supper and Other Tales Concluding with The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid. London: Macmillan 1913. Octavo original dark green cloth top edge gilt original dust jacket. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and slipcase. $2500.First edition of this collection of a dozen of Hardy's short stories including his lengthy gothic tale ""The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid"" with photogravure frontispiece in very scarce original dust jacket.""A Changed Man is a group of 'a dozen minor novels' that had lain uncollected in English and American periodicals half of them for a quarter of a century or more. They 'would probably have never been collected by me at this time of day' Hardy wrote 'if frequent reprints of some of them in America and elsewhere had not set many readers inquiring for them in a volume' There is much of interest in the volume: the introduction of soldiers and the use of historical setting in the tales written in the '90s when The Dynasts was taking shape; the snatches of reminiscence and family tradition in 'A Tryst at an Ancient Earthwork' and 'The Duke's Reappearance'; the reflection in 'Alicia's Diary' of Hardy's Italian journey a few months before "" Purdy 155-56. One of 10000 copies; the 12 stories here collected had all been published previously in periodicals. Purdy 151-57. Webb 39-40. Old bookseller description tipped to front free endpaper.Book fine very scarce and fragile original dust jacket with light edge-wear and gently toned spine extremely good. hardcover
188229199London: Sampson Low Marston Searle & Rivington 1882. 3 volumes. Scarce First Edition. 8vo in handsome near contemporary three-quarter tan morocco over wove cloth boards the spines with gilt stippled raised bands between gilt framed compartments four compartments with central gilt tools two gilt lettered additional gilt rules at the tips and lettering at the tail softly marbled end-leaves t.e.g. 246; 240; 223 pp. A very appealing and handsome set quite fine internally with far less then typically mellowing to the paper and that only at the edges the original half-titles retained the antique bindings with only trivial evidence of age sturdy and sound with fine and firm hinges. first Edition one of Hardy's Wessex novels set in a parallel version of late Victorian Dorset. It is a tale of star-crossed love in which the unhappily married Lady Constantine breaks all the rules of social decorum when she falls in love with Swithin St. Cleeve an astronomer who is ten years her junior. Her husband's death leaves the lovers free to marry but the discovery of a legacy forces them apart. This is Hardy's most complete treatment of the theme of love across the class and age divide and the fullest expression of his fascination with science and astronomy.<br> Because the book defied the social norms of the day upon release it was called shocking and even repulsive by some critics. Hardy wrote in a letter to Edmund Gosse on 10 Dec 1882 “I get most extraordinary criticisms of T. on a T. Eminent critics write & tell me in private that it is the most original thing I have done.while other eminent critics I wonder if they are the same print the most cutting rebukes you can conceive—show me to my amazement that I am quite an immoral person.†Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington hardcover
188829205London: Macmillan and Co. 1888. 2 volumes. First edition. A publisher's presentation copy with their purple "Compliments" stamp to Vol. I. 8vo in the scarce original dark blue/green cloth the boards with ruled lines in light green the spines also ruled in light green and with letting in gilt. Now housed in a fine custom clamshell box. 247; 212 pp. A fine set and scarce in the publisher's cloth this a very rare "Publishers' Compliments" copy. The text clean and fresh the binding bright with only a tiny bit of age or wear. A SCARCE HARDY TITLE IN ORIGINAL CLOTH THERE WERE ONLY 750 COPIES PRINTED AND OF THOSE ONLY 634 WERE BOUND the rest of the sheets were remaindered. This copy is not only very unusual for its exceptional and bright condition but also for being a publisher's presentation copy.<br> The work consists of five stories The Three Strangers The Withered Arm Fellow-Townsmen Interlopers at the Knap and The Distracted Preacherpreviously published only in serials. In the various short stories Hardy writes of the true nature of nineteenth-century marriage and its inherent restrictions the use of grammar as a diluted form of thought the disparities created by the role of class status in determining societal rank the stance of women in society and the severity of even minor diseases causing the rapid onset of fatal symptoms prior to the introduction of sufficient medicinal practices. A focal point of all the short stories is that of social constraints acting to diminish one's contentment in life necessitating unwanted marriages repression of true emotion and succumbing to melancholia due to constriction within the confines of 19th-century perceived normalcy. Macmillan and Co. hardcover
