Mayor of Casterbridge

The Mayor of Casterbridge, written by Thomas Hardy in 1886, is a tragic novel that explores the life of Michael Henchard, a man who, in a fit of drunkenness, sells his wife and child. Set in the fictional town of Casterbridge, the story follows Henchard's attempts to atone for his past mistakes and rebuild his life, only to have his past resurface two decades later. This work is notable for its deep psychological insight and is part of Hardy's Wessex novels, which depict rural England with a focus on character and fate.