Project Gutenberg 2002-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 412 Hardy, Thomas 1840 1928 Wessex Tales Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.) Reading ease score: 78.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction Wessex (England) -- Fiction PR Text Category: Short Stories Category: British Literature 512963 2025-08-02T05:22:33.232235 text/html 536126 2021-02-04T05:59:59 text/html 271285 2025-08-02T05:22:42.394155 application/epub+zip 273842 2025-08-02T05:22:36.354194 application/epub+zip 264574 2025-08-02T05:22:35.109189 application/epub+zip 455129 2025-08-02T05:22:46.792152 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 442300 2025-08-02T05:22:41.605173 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 416597 2022-09-02T07:18:01.791267 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 488808 2025-08-02T05:22:32.640247 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 488754 2021-02-04T06:03:27 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18786 2025-08-02T05:22:46.935139 application/rdf+xml 11135 2025-08-02T05:22:35.658203 image/jpeg 2879 2025-08-02T05:22:35.400202 image/jpeg 186755 2021-02-04T06:03:56 application/octet-stream application/zip 192071 2021-02-04T06:04:21 application/octet-stream application/zip 260218 2025-08-02T05:22:33.273201 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia