This sourcebook offers an introduction to Thomas Hardy's crucial novel, offering:

• a contextual overview, a chronology and reprinted contemporary documents, including a selection of Hardy's poems
• an overview of the book's early reception and recent critical fortunes, as well as a wide range of reprinted extracts from critical works
• key passages from the novel, reprinted with editorial comment and cross-referenced within the volume to contextual and critical documents
• suggestions for further reading and a list of relevant web resources.

For students on a wide range of courses, this sourcebook offers the essential stepping-stone from a basic reading knowledge to an advanced understanding of Hardy's best-known novel.