A Changed Man, The Waiting Supper and Other Tales concluding with The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid

by Thomas Hardy, Hugh Marshall

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, 19th Century, Historical Fiction, Victorian, British Literature

399 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Thomas Hardy, OM, was an English author of the naturalist movement, although in several poems he displays elements of the previous romantic and enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural. He regarded himself primarily as a poet and composed novels mainly for financial gain.

The bulk of his work, set mainly in the semi-fictional land of Wessex, delineates characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. Hardy's poetry, first published in his 50s, has come to be as well regarded as his novels, especially after The Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

The term cliffhanger is considered to have originated with Thomas Hardy's serial novel A Pair of Blue Eyes in 1873. In the novel, Hardy chose to leave one of his protagonists, Knight, literally hanging off a cliff staring into the stony eyes of a trilobite embedded in the rock that has been dead for millions of years. This became the archetypal — and literal — cliff-hanger of Victorian prose.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is a bit of a hit and miss. While some stories captured my attention completely, others were far off the mark. I think my favourites are Alicia's Diary and The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid. If either stories were fleshed out into a full fledged novel I'd happily read them through. There's so much depth to the characters and so much could've been explored in a full length novel. But even as shorts they work very well.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Table of Contents
✔ A Changed Man (read 20/06/24) ★★★★
✔ A Waiting Supper (read 23/06/24) ★★★★★
✔ Alicia's Diary (read 24/06/24) ★★★★
✔ The Grave by the Handpost (26/06/24) ★★★
✔ Enter a Dragoon (26/06/24) ★★★★★
✔ A Tryst at an Ancient Earthwork (27/06/24) ★★★
✔ What the Shepherd Saw (27/06/24) ★★★
✔ A Committee-Man of 'The Terror' (28/06/24) ★★★★
✔ Master John Horseleigh, Knight (28/06/24) ★★★
✔ The Duke's Reappearance (28/06/24) ★★★★
✔ A Mere Interlude (29/06/24) ★★★★
The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid (not on LV recording)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Changed Man (read 20/06/24) ★★★★
— The Hussar husband who, against his wife’s objections, became a C. Of E. priest.

A Waiting Supper (read 23/06/24) ★★★★★
— The “explorer” husband, missing for many years and assumed dead, is in fact in Ireland and reads in a newspaper of the intended marriage of his “widow” and sends word that he will arrive home the evening before the marriage. Absolutely brilliant story!

Alicia's Diary (read 24/06/24) ★★★★
— A betrothed man falls in love with the elder sister of his intended. Much fancy footwork to try to resolve the situation ends in (of course - this is Thomas Hardy!) a tragedy. Creative story, but the ending was too predictable.

The Grave by the Handpost (26/06/24) ★★★

Enter a Dragoon (26/06/24) ★★★★★
— When a lover becomes a liar . . .

A Tryst at an Ancient Earthwork (27/06/24) ★★★
— Mildly interesting tale of an ancient fortress which had been used by the Romans, and the Druids before them. Some lovely descriptions but too much “purple prose”.

What the Shepherd Saw (27/06/24) ★★★
— Illustrates the dangers of jumping to conclusions based on insufficient information.

A Committee-Man of 'The Terror' (28/06/24) ★★★★

Master John Horseleigh, Knight (28/06/24) ★★★
— Will the real Lady Horseleigh please stand up?

The Duke's Reappearance (28/06/24) ★★★★
— Appearance or apparition?

A Mere Interlude (29/06/24) ★★★★
— The widow and the widower - the tricks that Life plays on people. Very compelling story but the complex, convoluted conclusion lessens the impact of the ending.

The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid
— The LibriVox recording that I listened to was read from a 1920 edition of the collection, published by Macmillan and Co. in the USA. This story is not included in that edition.
— The original copyright of this collection was held by Harper and Brothers Publishers in London, England in 1893. The Harper and Brothers (London) edition of 1893 (re-published in 1900 and 1913) includes this story, as do the 1913 edition by Harper and Brothers (USA) and the 1915 and 1919 editions by Macmillan and Co. (London).
— I have not read this story since I do not have access to a format of any of these editions which can be read by my text-to-voice reader.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
★
★★
★★★
★★★★
★★★★★
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the weakest of Hardy’s short story collections. These stories did not have as much emotional impact, beautiful descriptions or inventive plots as in either Hardy’s stories in both Wessex Tales and Life’s Little Ironies, They weren't as inventive as the folk tales told in A Group of Noble Dames. The wistful melancholy present in many of those stories was in scarcer supply here. The following is my review and rating of each of the 11 stories. My edition did not contain the novella, Adventures Of A Milkmaid, so I will read and review that separately.
The ratings of the 11 stories in the collection average out to a 3.4 overall rating. So, rounding down, the collection rates 3 stars.

A CHANGED MAN - 1900
This story involves a handsome and competent Hussar Captain, his relations with a beautiful local Casterbridge lass and an eloquent young curate who leaves a lasting impression on the career of the Captain, who becomes the Changed Man. The young woman also becomes changed and the story is as much, if not more, about her as the Captain.
This one did have the Hardy wistful melancholy aura, both during the story and at the ending. I enjoy the melancholy in the short stories rather than the tragedy of so many of Hardy’s novels as numerous tragic endings are hard to endure when coming one after another. This one also had a touch of humor and social insight. While I appreciated the characterizations, the limited duration the story limited the effectiveness of portraying the character changes. 4 stars.
THE WAITING SUPPER – Autumn 1887
A fairly long story about a woman faced with the choice between two suitors and the consequences after she marries one. The story spans 20+ and again has a situation where the best resolution for a most rewarding life is prevented by fate and undisclosed events. I didn’t think the characterization was that strong considering the length of the story. 3 stars.
ALICIA’S DIARY - 1887
Another moderately lengthy story with 10 chapters. This and the next story both have first person narrators which is unusual for Hardy. This story is told in a series of diary entries of the titled Alicia who writes about the events in convoluted love triangle with her younger sister Carolina and a French suitor named Charles. It almost seemed like I was reading a Bronte story rather than a Hardy. The plot was adequate but nothing special, as was the writing, which did not have the beauty and flow I usually associate with Hardy. That may be because he had to make the writing believable as coming from Alicia. 3 stars.
THE GRAVE BY THE HANDPOST – Christmas 1897
This is a shorter one-chapter straightforward story about the burial of a man at a crossroads rather than the churchyard, centering on the reaction of his son who feels responsible for the death. The story piqued my interest at the beginning with the appearance of William Dewy of Under the Greenwood fame and a choir more extensive than Mellstock’s. The story, while tragic, does not really touch the heart. I felt a more unemotional reaction, as if reading a newspaper account of the story. My ending lesson from the story is more of a proverb: the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 3.3 stars.
ENTER A DRAGOON – December 1899
This is a story about a young Mellstock woman whose marriage to a young soldier is put off when he is sent to fight in Crimea and fails to return. The story is about events when the woman eventually decides to move on. There are surprise events and again, a fully happy life is prevented by both fate and a lack of information. While most of the story was fairly bland, I did enjoy the ending events. 3.7 stars.
A TRYST AT AN ANCIENT EARTHWORK – March 1885
The tryst only comes at the end after pages of material that seemed more appropriate to a Borges short story. Any action came too late to save a story consisting largely of fairly mundane descriptions and the historical context of the ancient earthwork. 2.3 stars.
WHAT THE SHEPHERD SAW – Christmas 1881
This also involved an ancient object; a Druidical trilithon known as the Devil’s Door. But this is a far better story that involves a young boy shepherd working with an elderly man, and what he witnesses while working overnight near the Devil’s Door. What he sees involves a love triangle between a Captain, the Duke and the Duke’s young wife and there is a bit of suspense. The story did have me smiling often, the events were well plotted and the ending was effective even if part of it was only added on to continue a Christmas tradition. 4.3 stars
A COMMITTEE MAN OF THE ‘TERROR’ – 1895
A French woman in her late 20s works as a governess for a Wessex family and runs into a newly arrived fellow Frenchman who has come to live in Wessex. She recognizes the Man from his role in the Terror, the Terror being part of the French revolution. The Man had a role that was not to the benefit of the woman’s family. It is now several years after that, during early in Napoleon’s reign. The story deals with the pair’s relations to each other during a bad time in French/English relations considering the prior relationship. A moderately interesting story, but again without much emotional involvement. 3.7 stars.
MASTER JOHN HORSELEIGH, KNIGHT – Spring 1893
A tale about the title character and his two wives, focusing on one of the wives, a recent widow, and the return of her seafaring brother. This takes place in the 16th century and involves looking back through the historical registry. Fairly convoluted for such a short story and the action, though dramatic, carries little emotional punch. 3.3 stars.
THE DUKE’S REAPPEARANCE –
Subtitled, A Family Tradition, this is a brief tale about the Monmouth rebellion in 1685 and the mysterious traveler staying or hiding at a house owned now by the narrator, a descendent of the owner at that time. Only moderately interesting, but touches on British history and family traditions. 3.3 stars.
A MERE INTERLUDE - October 1885
This was about a young woman raised on an island off the Cornwall coast who is educated to be a school teacher on the mainland. Rather than being a school teacher, she prefers to let her parents marry her to her father’s merchant friend although he’s 20 years older. The story’s centers around events when she meets one of her former instructors on the mainland prior to boating home to marry. While slightly tragic, there are more ironic events that are somewhat interesting. 3.7 stars

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Hardy is one of my favourite authors and I've read nearly everything he wrote already so it was nice to find this collection of short stories while I was on holiday a few months ago. I really enjoyed this. I don't think I've read any of his short stories before and they were a wonderful blend of unhappy love affairs, unrequited love and some bitter sweet tales. I like how even when the women are being controlled in many respects by the men around them they still have some agency and choice. It was also interesting as it included a first person narrative by a woman character which I'd never read by him before. He actually did it just like many of the Victorian women writers I'd read before and was very impressive. I really enjoyed this collection and now I want to finish reading the books by him that I've not read yet.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a collection of short stories.

Some of the short stories were interesting, but overall they left me a bit cold as (at least to me) they all seemed very dated. But I expect fans of the author may appreciate them. Some of the writing and imagery was good.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Changed Man & other stories – Thomas Hardy (1913)

June 3, 2014 by heavenali | Edit

achangedman

The final read for my Thomas Hardy reading challenge – and one of two books of stories that I read for the first time during the project. The stories which make up A Changed Man were written at various points during Hardy’s life, but this collection wasn’t published until 1913. Hardy wrote really excellent short stories – many of his stories having the scope and complexity of a full length novel. This collection of twelve stories; tales of soldiers, shepherds, milkmaids and Dukes, often feature some elements of the eerie or supernatural to some degree. They are not really horror or ghost stories like those of Poe or M R James – but many contain deliciously little elements of darkness which never threaten to get too absurd. At the risk of repeating myself – ok I know I am repeating myself, I always find reviewing short stories really difficult. Hopefully I can give a flavour without banging on about each of the twelve.

The title story set in Hardy’s famous Casterbridge is the tale of a handsome young hussar captain, who resigns his commission to become a preacher, taking a living in a small poor parish. His new young wife, having always been attracted to the glory and pageantry of the military is horrified, decides to leave her husband for another soldier, only things don’t end quite as she would have imagined. The narrative of several stories take place over a number of years, including The Waiting Supper – a wonderfully engrossing story of a socially mismatched couple who separated when very young – are destined to come together again fifteen years later, only to find their intention to finally marry thwarted by the shadow of the past coming back. Hardy is a master at creating a whole world within just thirty or forty pages, individuals and whole communities deftly portrayed within those themes which will be recognisable to Hardy fans.

“So they grew older. The dim shape of that third one stood continually between them; they could not displace it; neither, on the other hand, could it effectually part them. They were in close communion, yet not indissolubly united; lovers, yet never growing cured of love”
(From – The Waiting Supper – 1888)

One of my favourite stories; What the Shepherd Saw – also has a narrative scope of several years, an uneducated shepherd boy left alone in a hut to mind the sheep – is witness to a strange meeting between a Duchess and her cousin, the following night the cousin is met by the Duke, the Duchesses jealous husband. The result of that night – and what the shepherd saw will echo down the years as the Duke later becomes the shepherd’s patron in return for his loyalty and silence. The final story of the collection, another favourite, is also the longest, running to some eighty pages.

“She stooped into the opening. The cavity within the tree formed a lofty circular apartment, four or five feet in diameter, to which daylight entered at the top, and also through a round hole about six feet from the ground, marking the spot at which a limb had been amputated in the tree’s prime. The decayed wood of cinnamon-brown, forming the inner surface of the tree, and the warm evening glow, reflected in at the top, suffused the cavity with a faint mellow radiance.
But Margery had hardly given herself time to heed these things. Her eye had been caught by objects of quite another quality. A large white oblong paper box lay against the inside of the tree; over it, on a splinter, hung a small oval looking-glass.”
(From The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid – 1883)

The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid (no dark elements here) is set firmly in Hardy’s pastoral landscape of Wessex – and features a kind of romantic triangle. Margery – the milkmaid of the title meets and helps a foreign baron, who promising her a gift of anything she would like, finds himself having to treat the girl to a ball, decking her out in finery hidden in a hallowed out tree and whisking her off to a dance under an assumed name. This Cinderella like fairy-tale silliness is quite unusual, but Hardy does it really rather well. Of course there is much to complicate the situation, as Margery has a good honest young suitor in Jim Hayward, but the silly girl has had her head turned, and the baron unwittingly causes mayhem in getting Margery to make him an innocent promise to assist him whenever he should require it. I found it very hard to put this down – just not quite able to finish it in one sitting though I really wanted to. The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid was actually a lovely light bright note on which to finish this project.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short stories in this collection like Thomas Hardy's other short stories seem mostly to be a collection of remnants. Namely, aborted novels and vignettes, which were either never incorporated into novels, or were extracted from novels.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Set next to some of his other short story collections ("A Group of Noble Dames", "Life's Little Ironies", and "Wessex Tales" being the ones I've read so far) I would place this at the bottom of the list. It has more of the "Life's Little Ironies" tone, I thought, in that most of the stories are ones of thwarted hopes and "unhappy endings". I use quotes on that phrase because although the characters don't get what they want, there is often a sense that this fact is not ruinous to them. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Hardy's writing seems more alive to me because of this repeated study of disappointment with life and relationships. There's a kind of natural balance to it - more bad than good in life, but the good being so much more potent, and containing within it the seeds for survival in spite of the odds against. This may not be Hardy's best work, but is still so much better than most other author's work, I recommend it without reserve.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

While these short stories were all engaging, several of them stopped short, seeming very unfinished. I listened to this book as a free download from Librivox.org.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Changed Man is a collection of Thomas Hardy short stories that were only published as a collection years after they were written for separate publication. They are also less famous than Hardy’s other collection of short stories, Wessex Tales.

There are good reasons for both of these facts. On the whole these are not really Hardy’s best works. Many of the stories follow the familiar push-pull of too much of Hardy’s prose fiction. Often there are two people in love with one another, but either an elaborate plot contrivance or a contrary action on the part of one of the lovers prevents them from ever being together. Rinse and repeat.

Once in a while the story ends happily for a few of the characters. Hardy shows infinite variety in approach, sometimes centring the story on the man, sometimes on the woman. Various extra details may be added – a ghost or a diary. It is also fair to say that none of the stories are badly-written, and it would be mean to give this book a rating below three stars.

What prevents the volume from gaining a higher rating is the lack of surprises for anyone familiar with Hardy’s style. The unhappy fate of the characters says nothing about the unfairness of life or social pressures, and more about the perverseness of the author who seems to enjoy doling out unhappy fates on his luckless creations.

Later Hardy would link this to god, but in reality the suffering inflicted on people in Hardy’s world owes more to an omnipotent and omniscient author than to a deity. Again social pressures do play a part. Often there is a relationship between two people of different levels of wealth, and this contributes to keeping them apart. Nonetheless those factors usually prove to be only a small part of the problem, and one that could be overcome if the lovers did not choose to keep finding obstacles to put in their own paths.

Perhaps for that reason the most interesting stories here are the ones where Hardy mixes it up a little. Despite its title, ‘A Tryst at an Ancient Earthwork’ is not about a meeting of lovers, but about illegal excavations for treasure. ‘The Grave in the Handpost’ is an unhappy tale about a tragedy caused by a son’s harsh words.

My personal favourite in this volume is “A Committee Man of ‘The Terror’”. Here a woman meets in exile one of the men who (during the French Revolution’s most bloody period) helped to arrange the execution of her family. She is horrified by him at first, and then drawn to pity. Circumstances take an unexpected turn when she finds herself agreeing to marry him in order to protect him from adverse effects resulting from his past life.

The moral quandary is here. Should we be forgiving of the past, and prepared to help even those who have caused us suffering? Or is forgiveness an act of betrayal against our families and loved ones when the person we seek to help is the one who is responsible for their deaths? This is a dilemma that must occasionally rise in every country that has had a blood-soaked period of tyranny in its history.

Much depends on your taste in books. If Hardy’s style appeals to you, then this collection is perfectly readable and the stories are certainly not boring or dreadful. I cannot say that reading them was a chore. However if Hardy’s self-indulgent gloominess is more irksome than pleasurable to you, then this set of stories is unlikely to change your mind.

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav]

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--- :}|{:-:}|{:- * FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW * -:}|{:-:}|{: ---{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
***********************************************

~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~
* -} neuralsurfer {- *
~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{:- ^ AUDIOBOOK ^ -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * /10 * -:}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VWrl... {- *

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -} Gestalt Psychology Simplified with Examples and Principles {- *

* -:}|{}|{: = MY SYNTHESISED ( ^ GESTALT ^ ) OF THE * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * ( WAY THE AUTHOR FRAMES = HIS WRITING PERSPECTIVES ) & ( POINTERS & IMPLICATIONS = the conclusion that can be drawn IMPLICITYLY from something although it is not EXPLICITLY stated ) = :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Changed Man and Other Stories' was first published in 1913, when Thomas Hardy’s literary reputation was firmly established. Although the stories are not quite what the reader might have expected from Hardy, each story taken in itself is a study in psychology and character. Although some of the stories appear bleak, some are usually in retribution for a wrongful thought or deed. In all of these tales, the evocation of dark, dank evening mists conjure up an atmosphere of suspense and terror that carry the whiff of horror and the supernatural, but as the narratives unfold, we see that they are grounded very much upon the things of this world.

‘The Changed Man’ tells of the dandy soldier, the man-about-town and lady killer who marries a woman as frivolous as himself. One fine day, he tells his wife that he had resigned his commission and would shortly be ordained as a curate, to work with, and for the poor.

‘The Waiting Supper’ is about the careless lover who, in applying for a special marriage licence, had failed to ascertain first whether his intended bride is of marriageable age.

In ‘Alicia’s Diary,’ a young woman falls in love with a man her younger sister is engaged to marry – and he with her.

‘The Grave By the HandPost’ speaks of an atonement that is gravely rejected.

‘Enter a Dragoon’ is an entertaining, if bizarre, story of a soldier with two loves and two wives.

‘The Tryst at the Old Earthworks’ is specially commended for the eerie atmosphere and bleak situation of a crumbling Roman fortress which forms the backdrop to a sordid event.

‘What the Shepherd Saw’ is a Gothic tale told against the pagan structure of a Druidical altar.

‘A Committee Man of the Terror’ poses the question: whether what we would today label as a war-criminal could in altered circumstances, pay court to, and hope to be accepted by, the woman whose entire family he has had executed.

‘Master John Horseleigh, Knight’ is set in the times of Henry VIII, and is once again the story of a bigamous marriage of a very honourable gentleman.

‘The Duke's Reappearance’ concerns the flight and eventual capture of the Duke of Monmouth.

‘A Mere Interlude’ describes a young schoolteacher who engages to marry a man much older than herself, only to marry in secret an old friend, not because she loves him, but because she might thereby escape the drudgery of her job.

‘The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid’ is the tale of two strategists who together work upon a greedy and avaricious country maiden who hopes one day to be a Baroness. It is also the story of a Byronic and rather quixotic foreigner who loves rather more than he should, but is eager to make amends. Of all the stories here, this is one in which Hardy’s sense of humour, rare as it is, flashes out again and again.

[Cynthia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh boy I am about burnt out on Thomas Hardy after this collection. How many broken hearts and death by water can I take?
It was thoroughly enjoyable though and I am sure there are a few of his I still have not read.
But time to devote my reading to Away Off Shore and some Ian Rankin.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

always enjoy Hardy, although this selection is relatively weak.

[Ema Svaldenyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bittersweet book, loved it

[Phil Syphe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although more famous for his novels, Thomas Hardy was also an adept writer of short stories. He’s just as capable of mixing comedy with tragedy and at foreshadowing events in the subtlest of ways in this more restricted format.

He’ll often mention something that seems so trivial that you wonder how it’s significant to the story and why include it, only for that “Ah!” moment to hit you later on when realisation dawns.

The stories on the whole don’t make a classic collection, but there are some entertaining pieces in the mix. “The Waiting Supper” is a particularly well-crafted tale.

[Kate Millin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finally finished reading this on my Kindle - the last book in the Hardy reading challenge I have been doing with a group of friends as part of an online reading group. I enjoyed the stories a lot more than many of the other books I have read as part of the challenge as I often find Hardy frustrating. Many of these stories are lighter, and many are a wry look at how one small opportunity taken can make a profound change in someone's life. Well worth reading.

[jersey9000 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm starting to become a huge Thomas Hardy fan, and this collection of short stories is just as enjoyable as the books I've read. Some of them are depressing, some almost funny, but most are pretty much the stories of reasonably normal people trapped by the lives they had been born into (like Jude the Obscure, but not as dark). If you like Hardy, you'll like these, for sure.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories dealing with star-crossed lovers, most of which don't end well. However, this is Hardy and the writing and plot twists and turns make for a rattling good read. Definitely one to curl up with at night.

[Iris Hulsker · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is well written but the stories end abruptly and often are boring with no point to them at all. All plots resemble each other.
I am glad I listened to the book while embroidering or I would have closed it shut.

[Siddharth Siddu · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's always a touch of sadness in Thomas's writings. But they're really good.

[Rick Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

You could call this collection Murphy's law for marriage. Not quite on par with his novels, but I wouldn’t regret reading anything by Hardy.