Сухая рука

Literaturovedy nazyvai͡ut Tomasa Gardi 'odnim iz velikolepnykh masterov korotkoĭ prozy', a sam avtor schital, chto 'rasskaz dolzhen bytʹ iskli͡uchitelʹnym, chtoby opravdatʹ svoe sushchestvovanie'. Tak, naprimer, v rasskaze 'Sukhai͡a ruka' Gardi otrazil svoe videnie sentimentalʹnoĭ goticheskoĭ prozy, vpisav sverkhʺestestvennye i͡avlenii͡a v realistichnui͡u obydennostʹ selʹskoĭ zhizni. Roda Bruk v odinochku rastit syna, ott͡som kotorogo i͡avli͡aetsi͡a vladelet͡s mestnoĭ fermy, mister Lodzh. Vskore posle togo kak Lodzh zhenitsi͡a na molodoĭ krasavit͡se Gertrude, devushka i͡avli͡aetsi͡a Rode vo sne v obraze strashnoĭ vedʹmy. Son li ėto?V dannoe izdanie voshli takzhe 'Propovednik v smi͡atenii', 'Tri neznakomt͡sa', 'Nezvanye gosti' i drugie proizvedenii͡a avtora.

Literary critics call Thomas Hardy "one of the magnificent masters of short prose," and the author himself believed that "a story must be exceptional in order to justify its existence." For example, in the story "The Dry Hand" Hardy reflected his vision of sentimental Gothic prose, incorporating supernatural phenomena into the realistic ordinariness of rural life. Rhoda Brooke is raising her son alone, whose father is the owner of a local farm, Mr. Lodge. Shortly after Lodge marries the beautiful young Gertrude, the girl appears to Rhoda in a dream in the form of a terrible witch. Is this a dream?This edition also includes "The Preacher in Turmoil", "Three Strangers", "Uninvited Guests" and other works by the author.