1. Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Thomas Hardy
Tess of the D’Urbervilles

2. Personal Info Born June 2 1840 father was a mason
family had been powerful, wealthy, but they lost this through the years
father loved music, played fiddle
sent to the village school - 8 yrs
grew up in Dorset - Wessex
began writing poetry - 16 yrs
married in spent most of time in the country

3. Career / Literary Beginnings
1862 became an architect in London under Arthur Blomfield
ill health forced him to leave London
friend, Horace Moule, encouraged his writing
Moule committed suicide
First novel The Poor Man & the Lady was withdrawn on the advice of publisher George Merideth (soften satire & complicate plot)

4. Works Desperate Remedies 1871 Under the Greenwood Tree 1872
A Pair of Blue Eyes (serial) 1873
Far from the Madding Crowd 1874
The Return of the Native 1878
Mayor of Casterbridge 1886
Jude the Obscure last novel - had a stormy reception

5. Hardy’s Cottage Near Dorchester

6. London
Stonehenge
Dorset

7. Dorset at Dawn

8. Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Written in 1889
refused by two publishers
he altered it to make it suitable for family readers
first ran as a serial in the Graphic in England and Harper’s Bazaar in America
Tess lifted him to world fame

9. A few notes on Tess
Victorian Time Period - full of conflict & contradiction
Agriculture vs. Industry - Past vs. Future - Hardy attempts to build a bridge between the two
Set in Wessex - most of his novels are - countryside is almost a character in itself
Novel divided into 59 chapters,7 phases which correspond w/ Tess’ life cycles