‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ (1886) by Thomas Hardy

Arguably Hardy’s greatest work, The Mayor of Casterbridge is the tragic story of Michael Henchard, a man who rises to civic prominence but is haunted by his past. The first chapter features one of the most shocking events in Victorian literature, while the psychological mind games and dramatic plot twists in this story about the protagonist’s rise and fall, will keep your attention throughout.

I first came across this story as a child, when I walked into the living room to find it empty (very unusual in my home) and the television showing a man trying to sell his wife at a fair. I was fascinated and shocked in equal measure, having no idea what was happening or why. Fast forward to my GCSE years and my English teacher placed ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ on my desk. We began reading and I was hit with the sudden recognition that this was the scene that I’d witnessed on the television some years before. Finally, I got to find out what happened next and so began my love of Thomas Hardy!