Bøker av Thomas Hardy

Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, where it gained a wide readership.The novel is set in Thomas Hardy's Wessex in rural southwest England, as had been his earlier Under the Greenwood Tree. It deals in themes of love, honour and betrayal, against a backdrop of the seemingly idyllic, but often harsh, realities of a farming community in Victorian England. It describes the life and relationships of Bathsheba Everdene with her lonely neighbour William Boldwood, the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, and the thriftless soldier Sergeant Troy.On publication, critical notices were plentiful and mostly positive. Hardy revised the text extensively for the 1895 edition and made further changes for the 1901 edition.The novel has an enduring legacy. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 48 on the BBC's survey The Big Read, while in 2007, it was ranked 10th on The Guardian's list of greatest love stories of all time. The novel has also been dramatised several times, notably in the Oscar-nominated 1967 film directed by John Schlesinger. (wikipedia.org)

A Pair of Blue Eyes is a novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1873, first serialised between September 1872 and July 1873. It was Hardy's third published novel, and the first not published anonymously upon its first publication. Hardy included it with his "romances and fantasies". A Pair of Blue Eyes normally is categorised as one of Hardy's minor works, "a book with a few good points but a failure as a whole". Like Desperate Remedies, it contains melodramatic scenes that appear disconnected from the characters and plot.A focus of critical interest of the novel is the scene in which Henry Knight reviews the entire history of the world as he hangs over the edge of a cliff (reputedly the origin of the term "cliffhanger"), and eventually is rescued by a rope of Elfride's underwear. Carl J. Weber sources the scene to a picnic Hardy and his wife had, in which he was sent to search for a lost earring, claiming this passage is the "first indication in the novels of Hardy's ability to sustain interest in a tense situation by sheer power of vivid description." On the other hand, Millgate claims the scene forms part of the "irrelevant" description suited to the "rag-bag" of a novel. For Jean Brooks, the scene is "macabre" and an illustration of "cosmic indifference", also highlighting the comic in the rescue.However, Gittings and Halperin claim it is more likely the idea for this scene comes from an essay by Leslie Stephen titled "Five minutes in the Alps". The "cliff without a name", as it is referred to, is probably based on Beeny Cliff. (wikipedia.org)

Jude the Obscure, the last completed of Thomas Hardy's novels, began as a magazine serial in December 1894 and was first published in book form in 1895. Its protagonist, Jude Fawley, is a working-class young man, a stonemason, who dreams of becoming a scholar. The other main character is his cousin, Sue Bridehead, who is also his central love interest. The novel is concerned in particular with issues of class, education, religion and marriage. The novel tells the story of Jude Fawley, who lives in a village in southern England (part of Hardy's fictional county of Wessex), who yearns to be a scholar at "Christminster", a city modelled on Oxford. As a youth, Jude teaches himself Classical Greek and Latin in his spare time, while working first in his great-aunt's bakery, with the hope of entering university. But before he can try to do this the naïve Jude is seduced by Arabella Donn, a rather coarse and superficial local girl who traps him into marriage by pretending to be pregnant. The marriage is a failure, and they separate by mutual agreement, and Arabella later emigrates to Australia, where she enters into a bigamous marriage. By this time, Jude has abandoned his classical studies.

Far from the Madding Crowd follows the life of Bathsheba Everdene as she experiences love, honour and betrayal, against a backdrop of the seemingly idyllic, but often harsh, realities of a Victorian farming community.

Thomas Hardy's final novel "Jude the Obscure" began as a serial publication on December 1894 before being published in book form the following year. It is the story of its titular character Jude Fawley, a young lower-class man with dreams of being a scholar, and his relationships with his wife, Arabella, and his free-spirited cousin, Sue Bridehead. The novel follows the life of Jude from his youth living in a village in southern England where he works in a bakery and studies Classical Greek and Latin in his spare time with hopes of one day becoming a scholar at Christminster, a fictional city modeled after Oxford. His dreams are dashed however when he becomes ensnared by deceit into marriage with Arabella Donn, a coarse and superficial girl. What follows is a classic and tragic tale that plays upon many themes, principally of which is the idea that one's ruinous downfall is the product of having lived a sinful life. Having been harshly criticized in its day for its scandalous portrayals, "Jude the Obscure" has since been recognized as one of Hardy's finest and most intricate works. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Thomas Hardy's "VICTORIAN TRILOGY: Desperate Remedies, The Hand of Ethelberta & A Laodicean" presents a compelling exploration of societal norms and individual desires within the context of Victorian England. The trilogy showcases Hardy's signature literary style--richly atmospheric prose, complex characters, and a striking interplay of fate and free will. Each novel delves into the intricacies of human relationships and moral dilemmas, revealing the personal struggles against the backdrop of rigid societal expectations. The illustrated edition enhances the text, offering visual insights into the period, thereby deepening the reader's engagement with Hardy's thematic concerns of love, ambition, and disillusionment. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), a significant figure of British literature, trained as an architect before turning to writing, which profoundly influenced his narrative methods. His upbringing in rural Dorset and experiences with the constraints of the Victorian moral landscape inspired the layered characters and complex narratives found in this trilogy. Hardy's deep understanding of human psychology and societal critique allowed him to effectively challenge contemporary norms and ideals, making his work resonate with audiences across generations. This illustrated edition of the Victorian Trilogy is a must-read for those interested in the intricate dynamics of human desire and societal constraint. Hardy's keen insights into character development, combined with vivid illustrations, offer a rich reading experience. Whether you are a long-time admirer or new to his work, this collection is essential for appreciating the enduring depth and relevance of Hardy's literary contributions.

This book "" The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters "" has been considered important throughout the human history. It has been out of print for decades.So that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.

L'histoire se déroule dans une région du Sud-Ouest de l'Angleterre, appelée Wessex. Jude Fawley, jeune orphelin campagnard, rêve de devenir aussi savant que son ancien maître d'école, Richard Phillotson. Il entreprend d'étudier seul le latin et le grec dans l'espoir de pouvoir entrer à l'université de Christminster, ville fictive inspirée d'Oxford. Pour gagner sa vie, il devient apprenti tailleur de pierres. Mais l'appel de la chair le détourne de manière inattendue de ses aspirations. Une jeune paysanne délurée, Arabella Donn a tôt fait de mettre la main sur Jude et de l'amener à l'épouser sous prétexte de préserver son honneur.

A collection of the very finest ghostly short stories written by Thomas Hardy. 18 short stories, including, 'What the Shepard Saw', 'The Three Strangers', 'The Withered Arm', and many more.

When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. With its sensitive depiction of the wronged Tess and powerful criticism of social convention, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, subtitled "A Pure Woman," is one of the most moving and poetic of Hardy's novels.

"The greatest tragic writer among English novelists."-Virginia Woolf"There is no other novelist alive with the breadth of sympathy, the knowledge or the power for the creation of Jude." -H. G. WellsJude the Obscure, the semi-autobiographical final novel from Thomas Hardy explores notions of surprising candor; within the eponymous protagonist lies the tragic truth of failed ambitions and relationships. In a fierce exploration of the darkness of love and the intellect, this is one of the great tragic novels of English literature. Jude Fawley, an earnest boy from a rural English village, dreams of a life of academia despite his working-class background. His childhood schoolmaster has moved away from the village to teach at the University in Christminster. Jude spends his free time self-educating himself with the aspirations of enrolling at Christminster, yet his dreams are thwarted when he falls in love with Arabella, a loutish and deceptive young woman who lures him into a disastrous marriage. After abandoning each other, Jude returns to his dream of becoming a scholar; he moves to Christminster, where he falls in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead, and subsequently abandons all hope of academia. An intricate web of darkness ensues when Arabella returns into his life with a troubled son, who she informs is Jude's. Trapped in an uncontrollable descent, Jude's fate delivers him unspeakable tragedy. Jude The Obscure is one of literature's great works that explore the alienation and intricacies of man's place in the world. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jude the Obscure is both modern and readable.