This is the final book (other than some poetry) published by Thomas Hardy in his long career. It is a collection of minor novels (as Hardy calls them in the prefatory note) published in newspapers from 1885 to 1900. The critical reception of Jude the Obscure, published in 1887, made Hardy renounce writing any more full length novels. He obviously still had some stories in him that had to come out.

A group of Hardy fans decided in 2011 to read every novel that Hardy wrote at the rate of one every two months. I'm not sure how many stuck with the program but I'm glad I did. This has enabled me to see his improvement as a writer. Desperate Remedies, the first book, hasn't really stood the test of time. But by the second book Under the Greenwood Tree Hardy's themes of country life and male female relationships make their presence known.

Many of the tales in this book carry on these themes. One that stands out as different is "A Tryst at an Ancient Earthwork". From the title, you might think it would be a tryst between a pair of lovers but the trysters are not lovers and their aim is not romance. Instead it is two men, one who narrates the story and seems to be youngish and the other who is a historian or archeologist of about fifty. The older man has a theory that the ancient mound, which dates from pre-Roman times was used by the Romans as well. He can't get permission to dig so he talks his younger friend into meeting him at midnight to try out a small excavation. The chosen night is wild and stormy but that just adds to the illicit feel. Hardy is at his best in describing weather and atmosphere and surroundings. ( )