The novel that began to establish Thomas Hardy's reputation thanks to the memorable character of its hero and the constant twists in the plot.

In a fit of drunkenness, Michael Henchard sells his wife and their little girl for five guineas. The next day, remorseful, he decides to quit drinking and change his life. In the following years, he becomes a respected and successful citizen and eventually becomes the mayor of Casterbridge. However, behind his success, the heinous secret of his past and his character have set their trap. Twenty years later, his wife comes to find him, hoping he will help her and her daughter. He is willing to do so. Egotistical, stubborn, and emotionally volatile, however, he will instead put those around him in constant turmoil.

The story of a man who needs contact with others but remains alone because he cannot endure the constraints it imposes. A "study of character and human actions," as the author himself describes the novel. Hardy's most "Greek" work, as Dale Kramer emphasizes in his preface, since "his hero corresponds to Oedipus, Creon, Agamemnon, and Prometheus."