The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

Twelve commissioned essays provide an essential introduction to Thomas Hardy. 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 Thomas Hardy : The Biographical Sources / Michael Millgate -- Wessex / Simon Gatrell -- Art And Aesthetics / Norman Page -- The Influence Of Religion, Science, And Philosophy On Hardy's Writings / Robert Schweik -- Hardy And Critical Theory / Peter Widdowson -- Thomas Hardy And Matters Of Gender / Kristin Brady -- Variants On Genre : The Return Of The Native, The Mayor Of Casterbridge, The Hand Of Ethelberts / Jakob Lothe -- The Patriarchy Of Class : Under The Greenwood Tree, Far From The Madding Corwd, The Woodlanders / Penny Boumelha -- The Radical Aesthetic Of Tess Of The D'urbervilles / Linda M. Shires -- Hardy And Readers : Jude The Obscure / Dale Kramer -- Hardy As A Nineteenth-century Poet / Dennis Taylor -- The Modernity Of Thomas Hardy's Poetry / John Paul Riquelme. Edited By Dale Kramer. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy is an essential introduction to the author of Far from the Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure. These newly commissioned essays from an international team of contributors comprise 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. The volume also contains a detailed chronology of Hardy's life, and a guide to further reading The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy is an essential introduction to this most enigmatic of writers. These newly commissioned essays from an international team of contributors comprise a general overview of all of Thomas Hardy's work and specific demonstrations of his 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. The volume also contains a detailed chronology of Hardy's life, and a guide to further reading. The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy, is an essential introduction to this most enigmatic of writers. These newly commissioned essays from an international team of contributors comprise 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 philsophy in the late nineteenth century. The volume also contains a detailed chronology of Hardy's life, and a guide to further reading. This companion provides an introduction to the writings of Thomas Hardy. The essays comprise a general overview of his work and demonstrations of his ideas and literary skills. They also explore his life and his attachment to Wessex