Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, first released in serial form in 1874, is celebrated as a Victorian classic. The novel narrates the tale of a female farmer and her three suitors. Virginia Woolf acclaimed the book, stating it “must hold its place among the great English novels.” Notably, it is Hardy’s sole novel that concludes with a happy ending.

Published in 1891, Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles remains one of his most beloved works. The novel depicts the harrowing life of Tess, a young farm laborer on the estate of the affluent D’Urbervilles. Struggling to support her alcoholic father and her family, she is raped and impregnated by her employer’s son. After her baby’s death, she relocates and begins a courtship with a diligent young man, but her misfortunes persist.

Selected Poetry: Thomas Hardy (1996), edited by Samuel Hynes for the World’s Classics series from Oxford University Press, serves as an excellent introduction to Hardy’s poetry. This collection covers Hardy’s entire writing career and includes poems that inspired later poets like Ezra Pound and W. H. Auden.

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, published in 1847, is another revered classic of Victorian literature. The novel explores themes of romance and vengeance. Similar to Henchard in The Mayor of Casterbridge, its protagonist experiences multiple reversals of fortune.

Charles Dickens’s Little Dorrit, initially published in serial form in 1857, is another Victorian classic. The story follows Amy Dorrit, born in a debtors’ prison where her father is incarcerated. The novel delves into themes of social class, financial turmoil, and romance.

William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, serialized between 1847 and 1848 in London, shares thematic similarities with The Mayor of Casterbridge. The book focuses on the personal qualities of its main characters and how their integrity, or lack thereof, shapes their destinies. The central character, Becky Sharp, stands as one of the most notorious figures in literature.

The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy (1999), edited by Dale Kramer, is a collection of essays offering an in-depth look at Hardy’s life and works, including the impact of contemporary philosophy, science, and religion on his writing.