"The Withered Arm and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories by Thomas Hardy, a prominent British novelist and poet from the late 19th century. The stories in this collection revolve around the lives of rural characters in Victorian England, exploring their struggles with love, class, and social norms. The title story, "The Withered Arm," tells the haunting tale of a woman whose arm withers and becomes deformed, leading to tragic consequences. Other stories in the collection include "Fellow-Townsmen," which deals with class conflict in a small town, and "The Distracted Preacher," which follows the exploits of a charismatic but morally questionable preacher. Through these stories, Hardy presents a vivid and often bleak picture of rural life in Victorian England, exploring themes of social injustice, personal tragedy, and the conflict between tradition and modernity.
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