"Wessex Tales" by Thomas Hardy is a set of stories from the 1800s that highlight the unique culture of the countryside, in a fictional place called Wessex. The stories show regular people living in this area, dealing with problems related to class, destiny, and what it means to be human. A preface by Hardy talks about common themes and how he was inspired, especially his interest in the lives of those who execute criminals. The first story shows a man and wife, William and Ella, on vacation at the beach. Ella is a dreamer who is bored with how average her life is, but William cares mostly about his work making guns. Ella starts to idolize a poet who lives nearby, and this causes problems in her relationship with William, bringing up themes of wanting something more and the beauty of everyday life, all set in the special world of Wessex.
Wessex Tales
By Thomas Hardy
In a rustic land filled with both beauty and hardship, ordinary people grapple with love, loss, and the unyielding grip of destiny.
Summary
About the AuthorThomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wordsworth. He was highly critical of much in Victorian society, especially on the declining status of rural people in Britain such as those from his native South West England.
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wordsworth. He was highly critical of much in Victorian society, especially on the declining status of rural people in Britain such as those from his native South West England.
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