This critical study of Hardy's short stories provides a thorough account of the ruling preoccupations and recurrent writing strategies of his entire corpus as well as providing detailed readings of several individual texts.
Blood Relations from Edgeworth to Hardy
Focusing on the significance of ancestry and kinship narratives, this 1999 study delves into how these concepts shaped Victorian identity. It examines the interplay between personal and collective histories, revealing how social structures and cultural narratives influenced the self-perception and societal roles of individuals during the Victorian era. Through this lens, the book offers insights into the broader implications of identity formation in a historical context.
Trollope's sextet of Barchester novels concludes with The Last Chronicle of Barchester, where the reader encounters again some of the best-loved characters from the earlier books. Crawley and his terrible dilemma when he is accused of embezzlement are at the centre of this novel.