The Mayor of Casterbridge

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), subtitled “The Life and Death of a Man of Character”, is a tragic novel set in the fictional town of Casterbridge. The audio narrator is Martin Shaw.
The novel contextualises the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the impassioned and competitive relationship between two men; Michael Henchard and a newcomer, Donald Farfrae.
Henchard has ascended in Casterbridge to become a successful businessman and the town mayor. However, his deceitful ways alienate many of his allies, and he soon finds himself ousted by the newcomer, whose political nous and logical thinking mean that he has the upper hand over his more emotionally charged rival.