Desperate Remedies

Hardys first published novel Desperate Remedies (1871) a piece of sensation fiction that encompasses illegitimacy murder blackmail impersonation and bigamy was originally published anonymously. Written while in Hardys own words he was feeling his way to a method it nonetheless contains early examples of the kinds of extreme situations and emotions that continued to play a significant role in his later plots. As part of The Cambridge Edition of the Novels and Stories of Thomas Hardy this edition of the novel provides an authoritative text; full scholarly apparatus that allows the reader to trace Hardys creative process; an introductory essay discussing the works composition publication and critical reception; and comprehensive explanatory notes.