Three of the finest of the author's numerous short stories include the romantic title tale, the comic "The Distracted Preacher," and "The Three Strangers," a tribute to community life.

The Fiddler of the Reels and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions) by Thomas Hardy As popular today as they were during the author's lifetime, the works of Thomas Hardy captivate readers with their gripping narrative power and arresting imagery. This collection presents a trio of the author's finest and most representative short stories. "The Distracted Preacher," a flawless comedy graced with Shakespearean touches, concerns a pair of ill-matched lovers and the breakup of a little network of smugglers. "The Three Strangers" offers a celebration of the comforts and familiarities of life within a community. The title story, singled out time and again for critical praise, centers on the rivalry between a good but plain man and a charismatic villain. These tales mark Hardy's attempts to record the rapidly vanishing legends, superstitions, local customs, and lore of the Dorset region as well as his skepticism about the possibility of achieving personal and sexual satisfaction in the modern world. Alternatively humorous, ironic, and elegiac, the stories attest to the remarkable range of Hardy's storytelling gifts. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

Hardy's short stories reveal his love and obeservation of the natural world while exploring the struggle of man against the indifferent force that rules the world, inflicting suffering and the ironies of life and love.

In the title story of this collection, Car'line Aspent, bewitched and seduced by the dazzling fiddler, Mop Ollamoor, rejects her loyal suitor Ned only to repent her decision and seek him out years later. The ten other tales share the theme of love, but they are more than simple love stories. Written with Hardy's customary compassion for ordinary men and women and his sharp sense of irony, they tell of romantic disasters, betrayals, misunderstandings and cruelties. And, as in Hardy's novels, it is frequently the women who fall in love unwisely, in defiance of their class, their expectations or their family loyalties, and suffer for their impulsiveness.-Back cover.