--- product_id: 18011581 title: "Life's Little Ironies (Wordsworth Classics)" price: "85.71 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18011581-lifes-little-ironies-wordsworth-classics store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Authentic rural Wessex setting Classic literary gem Timeless Victorian tales Life's Little Ironies (Wordsworth Classics) **Price:** 85.71 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock the timeless ironies of life with Hardy’s masterful storytelling! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Life's Little Ironies (Wordsworth Classics) - **How much does it cost?** 85.71 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18011581-lifes-little-ironies-wordsworth-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Explore a vanishing world:** Immerse yourself in richly detailed rural life and social dynamics of fin-de-siècle England. - • **Curated scholarly insights:** Includes expert introduction and notes by Dr. Claire Seymour for deeper understanding. - • **Critically acclaimed collection:** Join thousands of readers who rate this classic 4.6 stars for its enduring relevance. - • **Dive into Hardy’s iconic irony:** Experience the sharp wit and poignant human truths that define Victorian literature’s finest. - • **Perfect for thoughtful reflection:** Ideal for professionals seeking literary depth and cultural connection in their reading. ## Overview Life's Little Ironies (Wordsworth Classics) is a used book in good condition featuring Thomas Hardy’s celebrated short stories. With an introduction by Dr. Claire Seymour, it offers a vivid portrayal of late 19th-century rural England, blending humor, social critique, and psychological insight. Ranked in the top 10,000 short story collections, this edition is a must-have for literary enthusiasts craving a profound and nostalgic reading experience. ## Description Introduction and Notes by Dr Claire Seymour, University of Kent at Canterbury The proverbial phrase life s little ironies was coined by Hardy for his third volume of short stories. These tales and sketches possess all the power of his novels: the wealth of description, the realistic portrayal of the quaint lore of Wessex, the Chaucerian humour and characterisation, the shrewd and critical psychology, the poignant estimate of human nature and the brooding sense of wonder at the essential mystery of life. The tales which make up Life's Little Ironies tenderly re-create a rapidly vanishing rural world and scrutinise the repressions of fin-de-siecle bourgeois life. They share the many concerns of Hardy's last great novels, such as the failure of modern marriage and the insidious effects of social ambition on the family and community life. Ranging widely in length and complexity, they are unified by Hardy's quintessential irony, which embraces both the farcical and the tragic aspects of human existence. Review: The Heart of Thomas Hardy - I was blessed with two happy stays this summer in Touisset, an old-fashioned settlement on the Kickemuit River in Rhode island where my maternal grandparents built a summer house a hundred years ago. During our two Touisset stays this summer, I read four works by Thomas Hardy: two collections of short stories (Wessex Tales and Life's Little Ironies) and two novels (Under the Greenwood Tree and The Woodlanders). Initially, I assumed that I associate Touisset with Hardy because, during a Touisset stay sixty-one summers ago, I read Jude the Obscure. (I remember as if it were yesterday the July afternoon I read about young Jude Fawley gazing at the dim horizon and making out the distant domes and spires of Christminster. I was entranced, and I went on to read the other best-known Hardy novels: Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Return of the Native, and Far from the Madding Crowd). Eventually, however, I came to realize that I associate Touisset with Hardy because Rhode Island is like Wessex: an obscure and eccentric corner of the world. Indeed, Touisset is like Mellstock and Longpuddle and Little Hinton: a small settlement surrounded by old farms, composed of old houses filled with old furnishings, and peopled by descendants of old families who talk with odd accents and tell and retell treasured stories about old times and old-timers. Indeed, "touisset" is a Wampanoag word that means "at the old field"! A common criticism of Hardy's works is that they're all about tragic miscalculations and doomed characters. It's true that Hardy views human beings as "specks" ("speck" is one of his favorite words) in the vastness of Nature and the vastness of Time. It's also true that he views life as "a riband of light [that falls] through the opening [of a door ajar] into the dark atmosphere without," and views human beings as "moths[s], decrepit from the late season, [that] flit for a moment across the outcoming rays and disappear again into the night." Nevertheless, he tells us that, as we flit briefly across the riband of light, we can notice the details of the natural world, write majestically, speak idiosyncratically, cherish old and twice-told tales, chuckle at each other and ourselves, and act with curiosity and compassion toward each other and all creatures. Review: it's nice. - I like it. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #692,175 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #9,830 in Short Stories (Books) #12,553 in Classic Literature & Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 66 Reviews | ## Images ![Life's Little Ironies (Wordsworth Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81mIDOODl8L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Heart of Thomas Hardy *by W***N on August 17, 2024* I was blessed with two happy stays this summer in Touisset, an old-fashioned settlement on the Kickemuit River in Rhode island where my maternal grandparents built a summer house a hundred years ago. During our two Touisset stays this summer, I read four works by Thomas Hardy: two collections of short stories (Wessex Tales and Life's Little Ironies) and two novels (Under the Greenwood Tree and The Woodlanders). Initially, I assumed that I associate Touisset with Hardy because, during a Touisset stay sixty-one summers ago, I read Jude the Obscure. (I remember as if it were yesterday the July afternoon I read about young Jude Fawley gazing at the dim horizon and making out the distant domes and spires of Christminster. I was entranced, and I went on to read the other best-known Hardy novels: Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Return of the Native, and Far from the Madding Crowd). Eventually, however, I came to realize that I associate Touisset with Hardy because Rhode Island is like Wessex: an obscure and eccentric corner of the world. Indeed, Touisset is like Mellstock and Longpuddle and Little Hinton: a small settlement surrounded by old farms, composed of old houses filled with old furnishings, and peopled by descendants of old families who talk with odd accents and tell and retell treasured stories about old times and old-timers. Indeed, "touisset" is a Wampanoag word that means "at the old field"! A common criticism of Hardy's works is that they're all about tragic miscalculations and doomed characters. It's true that Hardy views human beings as "specks" ("speck" is one of his favorite words) in the vastness of Nature and the vastness of Time. It's also true that he views life as "a riband of light [that falls] through the opening [of a door ajar] into the dark atmosphere without," and views human beings as "moths[s], decrepit from the late season, [that] flit for a moment across the outcoming rays and disappear again into the night." Nevertheless, he tells us that, as we flit briefly across the riband of light, we can notice the details of the natural world, write majestically, speak idiosyncratically, cherish old and twice-told tales, chuckle at each other and ourselves, and act with curiosity and compassion toward each other and all creatures. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it's nice. *by M***O on November 4, 2018* I like it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Small Gems *by K***3 on February 3, 2022* Even though some of these stories don't rise to the stature of Hardy's great novels, each is a small gem that can be treasured on its own terms. Hardy was a master of the English language, and his artistry is on full display in these stories, which range from the tragic to the humorous. (What? Thomas Hardy humorous? Surprise, surprise!) I would highly recommend this book to those who love Hardy but know his prose only through his novels, as well as to those who have felt too daunted to read them. ## Frequently Bought Together - Life's Little Ironies (Wordsworth Classics) - Wessex Tales (Wordsworth Classics) - Desperate Remedies (Wordsworth Classics) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18011581-lifes-little-ironies-wordsworth-classics](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18011581-lifes-little-ironies-wordsworth-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-07-06*