titania7
22-Oct-2008, 12:10
A blatant oversight must always be remedied. And Thomas Hardy, one of the most extraordinary of all English novelists, has not yet been honored with his own thread. So, let me begin. This will be a shorter, more concise post than my usual posts on authors,
because of sheer time constraints. However, I will definitely add to it later on.
Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840, in (Upper Bockhampton)
Dorset, England. He was the son of a master mason and building
contractor, and his mother was a devotee of French romances
and Latin poetry. In 1856, Hardy left school and began studying
under the tutelage of a master architect and church restorer
in Dorchester. His knowledge of Dorchester would later serve him
well as "Wessex," the imaginary locale of many of his works, was
based upon Dorchester. Between 1862 and 1867, Hardy resided
in London, where he began trying his hand at poetry. Though he is perhaps
best known for his novels, much of Hardy's poetry has received vast critical
acclaim.
Although the first book that Hardy submitted for publication
was The Poor Man and the Lady, it was Far From the Madding Crowd (1874) that launched his career (I will be posting a review of this novel during the next couple of months). Although this book possesses many comedic elements (including a happy ending), it is nonetheless, in scheme and tone, a tragic piece. It is a fair representation of the sort of work that is Hardy's trademark--writing that fully conveys the ultimate tragedy of human life (rather like some of the Estonian authors Eric has posted on recently).
Hardy created much controversy with what I consider to be
his incomparable masterpiece, Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891).
The story, which centers around the beautiful Tess Durbeyfield,
includes a scene of rape and, towards the end of the book,
a murder. As I plan to post a review of this book in the future,
I don't wish to give too much away. However, it is worth noting
that Hardy outraged both critics and the public at the time
by making it clear that he considered Tess to be "A Pure Woman." Hardy himself believed Tess to be his finest book, and both D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce considered it to be a remarkable literary contribution.
Once again, Hardy created controversy with another of his
most stunning achievements, Jude the Obscure. With its
frank depictions of a sexual relationship, it appalled Victorian
readers. As a matter of fact, it brought about such a scandal
that Hardy made a decision not to write any more novels.
Rather, he concentrated on poetry, which he thought to
be of much greater significance than his fiction. Between 1898
and 1901, two volumes of poetry were published: Wessex Poems
and Poems of the Past and Present. Until his death on January
11, 1928, Hardy continued to write poems, several more volumes
of which were published.
Hardy met his wife, Emma Lavinia Gifford on March 7, 1870.
Theirs was a happy, successful marriage, a partnership that
inspired Hardy in at least two of his literature ventures--the poem,
Veteris Vestohoae Flammae ("Vestiges of an Old Flame"),
and the book, A Pair of Blue Eyes. The latter, which I've read,
tells the story (with fictional elements added, of course) of
the courtship between Hardy and Gifford. It's a beautiful
yet tragic book. In 1914, following Emma's death, Hardy married
his secretary, Florence Emily Dugdale.
There is a great deal more I could say about Hardy, my
favorite English novelist. I could rank in order of preference
my favorite Hardy novels, for example. I could even
share passages from many of them. But, I'll wait on
both accounts.
Here is a slightly abbreviated bibliography:
Far From the Madding Crowd (1874)
The Trumpet-Major (1880)
The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886)
The Woodlanders (1887)
Wessex Tales (1888)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891)
A Group of Noble Dames (1891)
Life's Little Ironies (1894)
Jude the Obscure (1895)
Wessex Poems (1898)
Poems of the Past and Present (1901)
A Changed Man and Other Tales (1913)
Collected Poems (1927)
For what I presume is a complete bibliography,
go to:
Thomas Hardy (http://kirjasto.sci.fi/thardy.htm)
Other sites:
Thomas Hardy - Biography and Works (http://www.online-literature.com/hardy)
http://www.yale.edu/hardysoc/welcomet.htm
You can access e-texts of several of
Thomas Hardy's short stories at:
Thomas Hardy Short Stories (http://www.hardyshortstories.com)
I hope that this thread will encourage those
who are not familiar with Thomas Hardy to
read him immediately. Moreover, I will
be anxious to hear comments on Hardy's
work from those who have read him.
Best,
Titania
"It is safer to accept any chance that offers
itself, and extemporize a procedure to fit it,
than to get a good plan matured, and wait
for a chance of using it."
~Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd
because of sheer time constraints. However, I will definitely add to it later on.
Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840, in (Upper Bockhampton)
Dorset, England. He was the son of a master mason and building
contractor, and his mother was a devotee of French romances
and Latin poetry. In 1856, Hardy left school and began studying
under the tutelage of a master architect and church restorer
in Dorchester. His knowledge of Dorchester would later serve him
well as "Wessex," the imaginary locale of many of his works, was
based upon Dorchester. Between 1862 and 1867, Hardy resided
in London, where he began trying his hand at poetry. Though he is perhaps
best known for his novels, much of Hardy's poetry has received vast critical
acclaim.
Although the first book that Hardy submitted for publication
was The Poor Man and the Lady, it was Far From the Madding Crowd (1874) that launched his career (I will be posting a review of this novel during the next couple of months). Although this book possesses many comedic elements (including a happy ending), it is nonetheless, in scheme and tone, a tragic piece. It is a fair representation of the sort of work that is Hardy's trademark--writing that fully conveys the ultimate tragedy of human life (rather like some of the Estonian authors Eric has posted on recently).
Hardy created much controversy with what I consider to be
his incomparable masterpiece, Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891).
The story, which centers around the beautiful Tess Durbeyfield,
includes a scene of rape and, towards the end of the book,
a murder. As I plan to post a review of this book in the future,
I don't wish to give too much away. However, it is worth noting
that Hardy outraged both critics and the public at the time
by making it clear that he considered Tess to be "A Pure Woman." Hardy himself believed Tess to be his finest book, and both D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce considered it to be a remarkable literary contribution.
Once again, Hardy created controversy with another of his
most stunning achievements, Jude the Obscure. With its
frank depictions of a sexual relationship, it appalled Victorian
readers. As a matter of fact, it brought about such a scandal
that Hardy made a decision not to write any more novels.
Rather, he concentrated on poetry, which he thought to
be of much greater significance than his fiction. Between 1898
and 1901, two volumes of poetry were published: Wessex Poems
and Poems of the Past and Present. Until his death on January
11, 1928, Hardy continued to write poems, several more volumes
of which were published.
Hardy met his wife, Emma Lavinia Gifford on March 7, 1870.
Theirs was a happy, successful marriage, a partnership that
inspired Hardy in at least two of his literature ventures--the poem,
Veteris Vestohoae Flammae ("Vestiges of an Old Flame"),
and the book, A Pair of Blue Eyes. The latter, which I've read,
tells the story (with fictional elements added, of course) of
the courtship between Hardy and Gifford. It's a beautiful
yet tragic book. In 1914, following Emma's death, Hardy married
his secretary, Florence Emily Dugdale.
There is a great deal more I could say about Hardy, my
favorite English novelist. I could rank in order of preference
my favorite Hardy novels, for example. I could even
share passages from many of them. But, I'll wait on
both accounts.
Here is a slightly abbreviated bibliography:
Far From the Madding Crowd (1874)
The Trumpet-Major (1880)
The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886)
The Woodlanders (1887)
Wessex Tales (1888)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891)
A Group of Noble Dames (1891)
Life's Little Ironies (1894)
Jude the Obscure (1895)
Wessex Poems (1898)
Poems of the Past and Present (1901)
A Changed Man and Other Tales (1913)
Collected Poems (1927)
For what I presume is a complete bibliography,
go to:
Thomas Hardy (http://kirjasto.sci.fi/thardy.htm)
Other sites:
Thomas Hardy - Biography and Works (http://www.online-literature.com/hardy)
http://www.yale.edu/hardysoc/welcomet.htm
You can access e-texts of several of
Thomas Hardy's short stories at:
Thomas Hardy Short Stories (http://www.hardyshortstories.com)
I hope that this thread will encourage those
who are not familiar with Thomas Hardy to
read him immediately. Moreover, I will
be anxious to hear comments on Hardy's
work from those who have read him.
Best,
Titania
"It is safer to accept any chance that offers
itself, and extemporize a procedure to fit it,
than to get a good plan matured, and wait
for a chance of using it."
~Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd