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.