The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy

The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy
Author: Dale Kramer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 1999-06-24
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780521566926

Thomas Hardy's fiction has had a remarkably strong appeal for general readers for decades, and his poetry has been acclaimed as among the most influential of the twentieth century. His work still creates passionate advocacy and opposition. The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy is an essential introduction to this most enigmatic of writers. These commissioned essays from an international team of contributors comprises a general overview of all Hardy' s work and specific demonstrations of Hardy's ideas and literary skills. Individual essays explore Hardy's biography, aesthetics, his famous attachment to Wessex, and the impact on his work of developments in science, religion and philosophy in the late nineteenth century. Hardy's writing is also analysed against developments in contemporary critical theory and issues such as sexuality and gender. The volume also contains a detailed chronology of Hardy's life and publications, and a guide to further reading.

The Complete Critical Guide to Thomas Hardy

The Complete Critical Guide to Thomas Hardy
Author: Geoffrey Harvey
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2003
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780415234917

Thomas Hardy was the foremost novelist of his time, as well as an established poet. This guide provides students with a lucid introduction to Hardy's life and works and the basis for a sound comprehension of his work.

Thomas Hardy: The Complete Novels (The Giants of Literature - Book 22)

Thomas Hardy: The Complete Novels (The Giants of Literature - Book 22)
Author: Thomas Hardy
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 4582
Release: 2023-12-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Thomas Hardy: The Complete Novels (The Giants of Literature - Book 22) encompasses all of Hardy's major works in one comprehensive volume, showcasing the author's mastery of storytelling, poetic language, and profound exploration of human emotions. From the tragic romance of Tess of the d'Urbervilles to the social critique in Jude the Obscure, Hardy's novels transport readers to the rugged landscapes of Wessex, where characters grapple with fate, morality, and societal constraints. His rich prose and intricate narratives make each novel a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate readers across generations. The inclusion of lesser-known works sheds light on Hardy's evolving style and thematic concerns, making this collection essential for any literature enthusiast seeking a deeper understanding of Victorian fiction. Thomas Hardy's own life experiences as a rural writer and social observer greatly influenced his penetrating portrayals of human nature and the harsh realities of rural life. His background as an architect and passion for poetry are evident in the meticulous construction of his plots and lyrical descriptions of nature. These insights into Hardy's personal struggles and creative process enrich the reader's appreciation for the depth and complexity of his novels. I highly recommend Thomas Hardy: The Complete Novels to readers who appreciate thought-provoking literature that delves into the complexities of human existence. This collection serves as a gateway to explore Hardy's enduring legacy as one of the most significant writers of the Victorian era, offering profound insights into the human condition and the timeless themes that continue to resonate in contemporary society.

Hardy and the Erotic

Hardy and the Erotic
Author: T.R. Wright
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 158
Release: 1989-06-18
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1349090190

Hardy's Wessex, according to T.R.Wright, is a world dominated by desire which anticipates not only Freud, Hardy's contemporary, but such radical modern thinkers as Barthes, Foucault and Lacan, whose ideas are summarized in the opening chapters.

Thomas Hardy, Time and Narrative

Thomas Hardy, Time and Narrative
Author: K. Ireland
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2014-07-29
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1137367725

How is Hardy's development of thematics and characters matched by that of narrative techniques and his handling of time? This book uses narratological methods to stress the interdependence of content and expression in a key transitional writer between the Victorian and Modernist eras.

Thomas Hardy's Novel Universe

Thomas Hardy's Novel Universe
Author: Pamela Gossin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2017-03-02
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1351879251

In this, the first book-length study of astronomy in Hardy's writing, historian of science and literary scholar Pamela Gossin brings the analytical tools of both disciplines to bear as she offers unexpected and sophisticated readings of seven novels that enrich Darwinian and feminist perspectives on his work, extend formalist evaluations of his achievement as a writer, and provide fresh interpretations of enigmatic passages and scenes. In an elegantly crafted introduction, Gossin draws together the shared critical values and methods of literary studies and the history of science to articulate a hybrid model of scholarly interpretation and analysis that promotes cross-disciplinary compassion and understanding within the current contention of the science/culture wars. She then situates Hardy's own deeply interdisciplinary knowledge of astronomy and cosmology within both literary and scientific traditions, from the ancient world through the Victorian era. Gossin offers insightful new assessments of A Pair of Blue Eyes, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Return of the Native, Two on a Tower, The Woodlanders, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure, arguing that Hardy's personal synthesis of ancient and modern astronomy with mythopoetic and scientific cosmologies enabled him to write as a literary cosmologist for the post-Darwinian world. The profound new myths that comprise Hardy's novel universe can be read as a sustained set of literary thought-experiments by which he critiques the possibilities, limitations, and dangers of living out the storylines that such imaginative cosmologies project for his time - and ours.

Hardy's Geography

Hardy's Geography
Author: R. Pite
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2002-09-13
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0230512666

Hardy's Geography reconsiders a familiar element in Hardy's novels: their use of place and, specifically, of Dorset. Hardy said his Wessex was a 'partly real, partly dream-country'. This study examines how reality and dream interact in his work. Should we look for a real place corresponding to Casterbridge? What is the relation between one person's feelings for a place and society's view of it. Pite concludes that Hardy addresses these issues through a distinctive regional awareness.