The secret life of Thomas Hardy

by Edward Neill

"This book's ruling assumption is that Hardy was - from the outset of his admirably sustained career as novelist and poet - intent on creative mischief-making. It makes fascinatingly clear how Hardy was an outwardly conforming writer with a smuggled cargo of cultural dissent. Its exciting critical perspectives also show how Hardy's approach to representation takes him beyond realism, revealing the psychological undercurrents which render his writing 'darkly, deliciously disturbing'. With its critical sophistication, this book also ranges widely, representing Hardy's major novels as well as most of those unfairly considered minor, while also considering Hardy's haunted - and haunting - poetry. Some recent film and TV versions of his novels are also examined, with special reference to the pitfalls of adaptation. Thus students and teachers of literature at various educational levels will find this new book indispensable."--Jacket.