Thomas Hardy
13) Wessex Tales
Thomas Hardy (1840 – 1928) was a naturalist and writer, whose fiction sits on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution and is filled with an imminent sense of nostalgia for the coming transformation of the British countryside. He was also a ferocious critic of the unfair treatment of women both sexually and socially in Victorian society. The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid is set in Hardy's alternate landscape, called Wessex after the
...Short stories are a perfect way to enjoy and appreciate classic literature in reader-friendly, bite-sized chunks. This collection of perfectly polished little gems from Thomas Hardy, author of works such as Return of the Native and Far from the Madding Crowd, offers a great introduction to this renowned author.
20) A Laodicean
Though he is best remembered today for Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far From the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy's 1881 novel A Laodicean is also a worthy read for fans of his work. An architect falls madly in love with a young heiress, but his feelings initially are not requited. Along the way, a number of unsavory secrets are revealed.