Critical Insights: Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy is now universally regarded as one of the most important novelists and poets of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His works often reflect --and helped to create and reinforce --a relatively dark vision of human life, a vision highly characteristic of his era. This volume explores numerous works by Hardy from a rich variety of perspectives. The book examines his writings by relating them to history, philosophy, sociology, economics, gender, and, especially, aesthetics.