Fellow Townsmen

Subtly chronicling the cruel twists and turns of human fate, "Fellow-Townsmen" exemplifies Hardy's enduring perfection of his literary craft--and the artistic brilliance of his passionate portrayal of the trials of the human heart. Barnet and Downe are old and good friends in the Wessex town of Port Bredy--yet fate has treated them differently. Barnet, a prosperous man, has been unlucky in love and now lives with the consequences of a judicious but loveless marriage. Downe, a poor solicitor, is radiantly happy, with a doting wife and adoring children. A chance meeting one night causes them to reflect on their disparate lots in life and sets in motion a chain of events that will change their lives forever. Both a meticulous record of English provincial customs and a melancholic reflection on the brevity of human happiness, this short work displays all the artistry of Hardy's major fiction. Thomas Hardy is one of Britain's greatest authors; among his most famous works are "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and "Jude the Obscure."