The Mayor of CasterbridgeThe Mayor of Casterbridge
Score Classic
What it's about
Michael Henchard, a young farm laborer, gets drunk at a country fair and sells his wife and baby daughter to a sailor for five guineas. Ashamed, he swears off drink and, eighteen years later, has become the respected mayor of the town of Casterbridge. Then his wife and daughter return, and his past begins to catch up with him.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It's Hardy's great tragedy of a proud, stubborn man destroying himself.
You'll love it if you liked
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Jude the Obscure
King LearGood to know
It's tragic, with a series of coincidences that some readers find contrived.
By the numbers
- Readers21 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller35 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #189 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #730 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2590 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by Thomas Hardy
Jude the ObscureTess of the D'UrbervillesIf you like this, read next
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Great Gatsby
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Gravity's Rainbow
Invisible Man
The Confessions of Nat TurnerExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Mayor of Casterbridge worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #2,590 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 57.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Mayor of Casterbridge about?
Michael Henchard, a young farm laborer, gets drunk at a country fair and sells his wife and baby daughter to a sailor for five guineas. Ashamed, he swears off drink and, eighteen years later, has become the respected mayor of the town of Casterbridge. Then his wife and daughter return, and his past begins to catch up with him.
How long does it take to read The Mayor of Casterbridge?
About 12 hours (472 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Mayor of Casterbridge?
If you liked it, try Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy or King Lear by William Shakespeare.