Project Gutenberg 2002-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 341 Hardy, Thomas 1840 1928 Wessex Tales An imaginative woman -- The three strangers -- The withered arm -- Fellow-townsmen -- Interlopers at the Knap -- The distracted preacher. David Price "Wessex Tales" by Thomas Hardy is a collection of short stories written during the late 19th century. The collection presents tales that are rich in regional flavor, focusing on characters and incidents that are emblematic of rural life in Wessex, a fictional region used by Hardy for many of his works. The stories are often steeped in themes of social class, fate, and the struggles of human experience, and they explore the lives of various individuals through intertwining plots and local folklore. The opening of the collection features a preface from Hardy, where he addresses the themes and inspirations behind the stories, particularly a fascination with the lives of executioners, reflected in two consecutive tales about hangmen. The first story, "An Imaginative Woman," introduces William Marchmill and his wife Ella, who are at a seaside resort. Their contrasting personalities are highlighted, with Ella being an imaginative soul frustrated by her mundane life, while William is practical and focused on his gun-making business. As the narrative unfolds, Ella’s admiration for a local poet, Robert Trewe, complicates the dynamics of her marriage and introduces themes of unfulfilled desires and aspirations. The beginning sets the stage for a poignant exploration of the human heart and the poetry of everyday life amidst the backdrop of Wessex's distinctive landscape. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction Wessex (England) -- Fiction PR Text Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 512826 512830 2024-10-02T05:57:56.258168 2023-10-02T05:44:09.718530 text/html text/html 536126 2021-02-04T05:59:59 text/html 192071 2021-02-04T06:04:21 text/html application/zip 271218 2024-10-02T05:58:05.723599 application/epub+zip 273859 2024-10-02T05:57:59.549143 application/epub+zip 264591 2024-10-02T05:57:58.213178 application/epub+zip 455165 2024-10-02T05:58:10.427602 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 442300 2024-10-02T05:58:04.831617 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 416597 2022-09-02T07:18:01.791267 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 488808 488814 2024-10-02T05:57:55.304169 2023-10-02T05:44:09.070540 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 488754 2021-02-04T06:03:27 text/plain; charset=utf-8 186755 2021-02-04T06:03:56 text/plain; charset=utf-8 application/zip 20002 2024-10-02T05:58:10.568571 application/rdf+xml 11135 2024-10-02T05:57:58.768132 image/jpeg 2879 2024-10-02T05:57:58.491138 image/jpeg 260184 2024-10-02T05:57:56.304156 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia