I finished Tess of the D’Urbervilles a couple of weeks ago, and when I mentioned that fact to my coworker John, it sparked a discussion of All Things Hardy. I’ve only ever read Tess (now twice) and Jude the Obscure, both back in high school. When I mentioned The Mayor of Casterbridge, John asked whether that was the one where the guy sells his wife. Intrigued, I found that yes, indeed, that is the one. One of the most memorable parts of the book is the “skimmington”, a noisy public protest against a man or woman (or both) who have married improperly or committed adultery. I looked up the term to find out more, and found this humorous discussion of the term. This site also includes the priceless “Great Moments in Curry“, which I’ve read somewhere before.