Thomas Hardy in Context

This book covers the range of Thomas Hardy's works while providing a comprehensive introduction to his life and times.

Phillip Mallett (Edited by)

9781107454217, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 December 2015

570 pages, 8 b/w illus.
23 x 15.3 x 3.5 cm, 0.86 kg

'The anthology's absorbing 'Historical and Cultural Context' section sheds light on Hardy's interests in anthropology, law, geology, sociology, and 'Englishness'. Contributors provide abundant endnotes and broad-ranging sources, and the 'Further Reading' section and index are excellent … Hardy, the 'Wessex' creator, is fortunate to have such impressive material available for modern readers and serious students of Victorian literature … Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.' S. A. Parker, Choice

This collection covers the range of Thomas Hardy's works and their social and intellectual contexts, providing a comprehensive introduction to Hardy's life and times. Featuring short, lively contributions from forty-four international scholars, the volume explores the processes by which Hardy the man became Hardy the published writer; the changing critical responses to his work; his response to the social and political challenges of his time; his engagement with contemporary intellectual debate; and his legacy in the twentieth century and after. Emphasising the subtle and ongoing interaction between Hardy's life, his creative achievement and the unique historical moment, the collection also examines Hardy's relationship to such issues as class, education, folklore, archaeology and anthropology, evolution, marriage and masculinity, empire and the arts. A valuable contextual reference for scholars of Victorian and modernist literature, the collection will also prove accessible for the general reader of Hardy.

List of illustrations
Preface
Note on editions
List of abbreviations
Chronology Phillip Mallett
Part I. Life and Works: 1. Life and life David Amigoni
2. Memoirs and recollections Trish Ferguson
3. Friendships William Greenslade
4. The public Hardy Simon Gatrell
5. Serial into volume Andrew Nash
6. Illustration Pamela Dalziel
Part II. Critical Fortunes: 7. Critical responses I: the novels to 1970 Sarah Maier
8. Critical responses II: the novels from 1970 Tim Dolin
9. Hardy's poets as his critics Peter Robinson
Part III. The Literary Scene: 10. Thomas Hardy and realism Francis O'Gorman
11. Tragedy and the novel K. K. Newton
12. Hardy and the short story Sophie Gilmartin
13. Poet, poetry, poem Francesco Marroni
14. The Dynasts in epic context Herbert Tucker
Part IV. The Historical and Cultural Context: 15. Hardy and social class Christine Devine
16. 'The Dorsetshire Labourer' Fred Reid
17. Education and social class Jane Mattisson
18. Hardy and the sociological imagination Roger Ebbatson
19. Folklore and anthropology Andrew Radford
20. Archaeology Rebecca Welshman
21. The Victorian philological contexts of Hardy's poetry Dennis Taylor
22. Physics, geology, astronomy Adelene Buckland
23. Culture Mary Rimmer
24. Hardy and hellenism Shannon Fiske
25. Faith and doubt Norman Vance
26. Hardy's philosophy Mark Asquith
27. Positivism: Comte and Mill T. R. Wright
28. Hardy and the law Melanie Williams
29. Hardy, Darwin and The Origin of Species Phillip Mallett
30. Heredity Angelique Richardson
31. Psychology Jenny Bourne Taylor
32. Marriage Ann Heilmann
33. The new woman Carolyn Burdett
34. Hardy and masculinity Elizabeth Langland
35. Hardy's London Keith Wilson
36. Hardy and Englishness Patrick Parrinder
37. Empire Jane Bownas and Rena Jackson
38. Hardy, militarism and war Glen Wickens
39. Hardy and music John Hughes
40. Thomas Hardy and the visual arts Jane Thomas
Part V. Legacies: 41. Lawrence's Hardy Michael Herbert
42. Larkin's Hardy John Osborne
43. Hardy on film Roger Webster
Further reading.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH]