Thomas Hardy books in order
English novelist and poet
- Lived
- 1840–1928
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 38
Thomas Hardy published 18 novels, 2 novellas, 7 short story collections, 9 poetry collections and 2 plays, beginning with Desperate Remedies (1871). The best-known is Far from the Madding Crowd (1874).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Thomas Hardy
Shortest way in
The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character
One of the most-read, at about 363 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Desperate Remedies (1871)
Under the Greenwood Tree (1872)
A Pair of Blue Eyes (1873)
Far from the Madding Crowd (1874)
The Hand of Ethelberta (1876)
The Return of the Native (1878)
The Trumpet-Major (1880)
A Laodicean (1881)
Two on a Tower (1882)
The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character (1886)
The Woodlanders (1887)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891)
Hearts Insurgent (1895)
The Well-Beloved (1897)
Life and Art (1921)
Dorset (1922)
Late Lyrics and Earlier (1922)
Winter Words in Various Moods and Metres (1928)
Novellas in order
The Three Strangers (1900)
Short story collections in order
Wessex Tales (1888)
A Group of Noble Dames (1891)
Life's Little Ironies (1894)
Collected Short Stories (1913)
Masters of the Macabre (1914)
An Indiscretion in the Life of an Heiress and Other Stories (1992)
Poetry in order
Satires of Circumstance (1914)
The Oxen (1915)
Collected Poems (1919)
Human Shows, Far Phantasies, Songs and Trifles (1925)
Winter Words (1928)
The Poetry of Cats (1974)
Plays in order
The Dynasts (1904)
The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall at Tintagel in Lyonnesse (1923)
Film and TV adaptations
- Under the Greenwood Tree (1918)Film · from Under the Greenwood Tree
- Under the Greenwood Tree (1929)Film · from Under the Greenwood Tree
- Far from the Madding Crowd (1915)Film · from Far from the Madding Crowd
- Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)Film · from Far from the Madding Crowd
- Tamara Drewe (2010)Film · from Far from the Madding Crowd
- Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)Film · from Far from the Madding Crowd
- The Mayor of Casterbridge (1921)Film · from The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character
- The Mayor of Casterbridge (1978)TV · from The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character
- The Claim (2000)Film · from The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character
- The Mayor of Casterbridge (2003)TV · from The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character
- Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1913)Film · from Tess of the D'Urbervilles
- Tess (1979)Film · from Tess of the D'Urbervilles
- Trishna (2011)Film · from Tess of the D'Urbervilles
- Tess of the D'UrbervillesTV · from Tess of the D'Urbervilles
- Jude (1996)Film · from Hearts Insurgent
Free to read
All free classics
About Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist, poet and architect. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wordsworth. He was highly critical of much in Victorian society, especially on the declining status of rural people in Britain such as those from his native South West England.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Thomas Hardy FAQ
- How many books has Thomas Hardy written?
- Thomas Hardy published 18 novels, 2 novellas, 7 short story collections, 9 poetry collections and 2 plays that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Thomas Hardy's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Far from the Madding Crowd.
- What is Thomas Hardy's last book?
- Winter Words in Various Moods and Metres (1928).
- What is Thomas Hardy's most famous book?
- Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) is Thomas Hardy's most widely read book.
- Which Thomas Hardy books have been adapted?
- 5 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Under the Greenwood Tree (film, 1918), Far from the Madding Crowd (film, 1915), The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character (as The Mayor of Casterbridge, film, 1921) and Tess of the D'Urbervilles (film, 1913).
- Can I read Thomas Hardy's books for free?
- Yes. 26 books by Thomas Hardy are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Thomas Hardy
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Emily Brontë
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James Joyce
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Alphonse de Lamartine
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Edith Wharton
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.