{"product_id":"the-mayor-of-casterbridge-thomas-hardy-9780486437491","title":"The Mayor of Casterbridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eA cruel joke at a country fair goes too far when a drunken laborer auctions off his wife and child to the highest bidder. So begins \u003ci\u003eThe Mayor of Casterbridge\u003c\/i\u003e, Thomas Hardy's gripping tale of a man's rise and fall amid the natural beauty and human brutality of a rural English community.\u003cbr\u003eFirst published serially in 1886, the novel was praised by critics for its realism and poetic style. Most agreed, however, that its plot hinges upon unlikely turns of events. Hardy replied, It is not improbabilities of incident but improbabilities of character that matter. In this book -- originally subtitled A Story of a Man of Character -- the author perpetually tests his characters with frequent intrusions by the hand of fate. Rich in descriptive powers and steeped in irony, this timeless tale offers a spellbinding portrayal of ambition, rivalry, revenge, and repentance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Thomas Hardy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0486437493\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780486437491\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Dover Publications\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/18\/2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 243\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.45lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 4.90w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.5\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/b\u003e 22\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/b\u003e Upper Grade\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eQuiz #\/Name: \u003c\/b\u003e10040 \/ Mayor of Casterbridge\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Thomas Hardy","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43987324338431,"sku":"9780486437491","price":6.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_d8a0a4b5-2ab1-411e-befe-38334c41d7bb.jpg?v=1683288306","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-mayor-of-casterbridge-thomas-hardy-9780486437491","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}