An English Victorian novelist and poet.
One of the essential Victorian writers, Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) is famous mainly for his novels nowadays, but also wrote a lot of poetry. Often dealing with themes of love and family as well as pressures of society and social position, his work gives an insightful view of Victorian England. While his earlier novels are more hopeful, his later work is often tragic and was also controversial, as he did not shy away from criticism of certain moral or legal standards of his time.
Hardy‘s novels are often long and complex, as many Victorian novels. These are some of his most popular, which are a good starting point if you’re planning to get to know his work:
Far From the Madding Crowd: The inspiring tale of Bathsheba Everdene, a young woman whose life changes drastically when she inherits a fortune and becomes the owner of a large farm with
lands. She is ready to take on the challenge and has an independent will, but she does not remain a strong single woman for long, as she attracts the attention of several men. A wonderful
novelfull ofmemorable characters and fates.
Tess of the D‘Urbervilles: The heroine Tess is a young girl whose family does not have much. When misfortune finds them, Tess is sent to distant relatives to ask for help, but is taken
advantage of instead. She tries to move on on start over in a new place, but society does not forgive easily. A tragic novel with many twists and fateful events, which raises many questions about
society at the time and is considered one of Hardy‘s most influential novels.
Jude the Obscure: The protagonist Jude is an orphaned boy who has an interest in pursuing a higher education, inspired by a teacher and mentor. He is not fortunate in life, however,
especially with his romantic life. After a failed marriage, he gets into a relationship that causes his to become ostracized by society, leading to unimaginable hardships. A sad and unsettling
novel, which caused many discussion in England, and a lot of opposition from the church.
Some of his other novels include Under the Greenwood Tree, A Pair of Blue Eyes, Two on a Tower and The Mayor of Casterbridge, which are all worth reading as well.
Afterthecontroversy around his later books, he continued to write only poetry.
There are several great film adaptations which can give an insight into Hardy’s world. Especially the adaptation of Far From the Madding Crowd (by Thomas Vinterberg, with Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts and Michael Sheen) is very well-shot with a great cast.