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Synopsis
Hardy's first published novel, issued in 1871, is a sensation story set in a West Country estate and the town around it. Cytherea Graye, left poor after her father's death, takes work as companion to the commanding Miss Aldclyffe and is drawn into a triangle with the steward Aeneas Manston and the young architect Edward Springrove. A fire, a missing woman, a dubious marriage, and a sequence of coincidences tighten around the house. The plot turns on concealed identity, sexual power, and the legal traps available to a dependent woman. Unlike Hardy's later rural tragedies, this book borrows the machinery of mystery and blackmail.
Title Metadata
Record ID910
Contributor
Collection & Classification
Collections—
First Published
1871Fiction / Non-Fiction
FictionEdition
Standard EditionPhysical Details
Binding
Cloth BoundTypeface
BaskervillePage Count
392ISBN
9783368457563Slipcase
YesMarket & Pricing
Language
EnglishFolio Price
—Avg. Sale Price
—In Print
NoFolio Number
744Last Updated: 23 August 2026
Subject/Genre
7 SubjectsFiction
Classics
Literary
19th Century
England
Mystery & Detective
Suspense
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Volumes3 Volumes
| No. | Volume Title | Page Count |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | Desperate Remedies, a Novel by Thomas Hardy [Quotation] | — |
| Vol. 2 | The Hand of Ethelberta, a Comedy in Chapters by Thomas Hardy [Quotation] | — |
| Vol. 3 | A Laodicean, a Story of Today by Thomas Hardy [Quotation] | — |
Physical Description
Bound in pale brown cloth. Light brown slipcase.
Printings2 Printings
| Printing | Print Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Printing | 1993 | — |
| 2nd Printing | 1994 | — |