Life's Little Ironies A set of tales with some colloquial sketches entitled A Few Crusted Characters

"Life's Little Ironies" by Thomas Hardy is a collection of late 19th-century short stories that carefully looks at the complicated parts of being human. The book pays closest attention to love, how people are ranked in society, and the unexpected results of the decisions we make. Hardy uses his writing to show how his characters struggle against what society expects of them and what they want for themselves, often resulting in sad twists in their lives. The opening story, "The Son's Veto," introduces Sophy, a likeable woman with a disabled condition who lives with her son in London. She remembers her life, including her simple upbringing and the death of her first husband, and the societal pressures she now faces. Her son, Randolph, acts like he's better than others, which makes their relationship more difficult, especially as Sophy thinks about her past choices. This story introduces the bigger ideas of social class, being a mother, and the difficult nature of love, suggesting that these issues will greatly affect Sophy's life as the story moves forward