{"product_id":"the-short-stories-of-thomas-hardy-thomas-hardy-1st-collected-edition","title":"The Short Stories of Thomas Hardy, Thomas Hardy — 1st Collected Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1928\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo, pp. [viii], 1076.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Very Good. The publisher’s original maroon cloth binding remains tight and structurally sound, though it exhibits typical sunning to the spine, which has slightly mellowed the deep red hue and dulled the gilt lettering. The boards themselves are remarkably clean and smart, presenting very well beneath a protective sleeve. Internally, the volume is bright and highly preserved. The page block edges display minor, age-appropriate toning, but the text block itself is exceptionally crisp, free from significant foxing, moisture damage, or loose leaves. An attractive, sturdy survivor of a substantial volume.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: This is the First Collected Edition of Thomas Hardy's short stories, published posthumously in March 1928, shortly after the author's death earlier that same year. It represents the first time his four major collections of short fiction, \u003ci\u003eWessex Tales\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLife's Little Ironies\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Group of Noble Dames\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eA Changed Man and Other Tales, \u003c\/i\u003ewere brought together into a single, comprehensive volume.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIssued in the publisher's dark maroon cloth with blind-stamped devices, this edition is notable for gathering Hardy's shorter works into one accessible format. As a first printing of a thick, heavily read omnibus edition, surviving copies that remain tightly bound and free from significant structural wear are becoming increasingly uncommon on the open market, making this an appealing acquisition for the Hardy enthusiast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBringing together over forty of Thomas Hardy’s masterful short narratives, this expansive volume immerses the reader in the unforgiving, yet beautifully rendered, landscape of Wessex. From the dark, rural folklore of \u003ci\u003eThe Withered Arm\u003c\/i\u003e to the quiet domestic tragedies of \u003ci\u003eLife's Little Ironies\u003c\/i\u003e, Hardy's tales explore the inescapable forces of fate, chance, and human frailty. These stories serve as perfect distillations of the tragic irony and profound pastoral melancholy that defined his longer novels, offering a rich tapestry of nineteenth-century provincial life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54618363855187,"sku":"5120","price":47.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260811_130057.jpg?v=1787039597","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-short-stories-of-thomas-hardy-thomas-hardy-1st-collected-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}