Desperate Remedies

Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy, published by Penguin Books in 1995, is a significant work that marks Hardy’s first published novel. This edition spans 454 pages and is presented in English. The narrative follows Aeneas Manston, an anti-hero whose physical allure is matched by his malevolence, as he becomes entangled with the innocent Cytherea, who is in love with another man. The story explores themes of deception, blackmail, and the darker aspects of human nature while engaging with broader societal issues.
Readers will find that Desperate Remedies moves the sensation novel into new territory, showcasing Hardy’s unique approach to storytelling. The plot intricately weaves in elements of class injustice and the treatment of women, raising profound questions that resonate throughout Hardy’s body of work. This edition is based on the first edition text and includes later prefaces as well as the Wessex Poems presented in prose form, offering a comprehensive view of Hardy’s literary style and thematic concerns.
Official synopsis Publisher
Hardy’s first published work, Desperate Remedies moves the sensation novel into new territory. The anti-hero, Aeneas Manston, as physically alluring as he is evil, even fascinates the innocent Cytherea, though she is in love with another man. When he cannot seduce her, Manston resorts todeception, blackmail, bigamy, murder, and rape. Yet this compelling story also raises the great questions underlying Hardy’s major novels, which relate to the injustice of the class system, the treatment of women, probability and causality. This edition shows for the first time that the sensationnovel was always Hardy’s natural genre. It is based on the first edition text, and includes later prefaces and the Wessex Poems “dissolved” into prose.
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