Sleep is good, books are better
Happy birthday, Thomas Hardy! Today is the birthday of Thomas Hardy (b.2 June 1840 – d.11 January 1928). Hardy was a celebrated and influential English novelist and poet. And is a favourite of mine. Author of such works as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891),... Continue Reading →
Famous writers on cigarette cards Shown above are some portraits of famous writers on cigarette cards. Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, G.K. Chesteron, Rudyard Kipling, Michael Arlen, Hilaire Belloc, Phyllis Bentley, Marjorie Bowen, John Buchan and (again) G.K. Chesterton. There was a time when cigarette cards (trade cards) were issued by tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette... Continue Reading →
No.2. Angel & Tess and Alec & Tess from Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy) We continue our worst couples run down with Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman. It is a remarkable novel, full of interesting things and wonderful writing. And no less than two rotten relationships. Spoiler alert! Angel and Tess: This... Continue Reading →
I enjoyed the BBC Radio 4 programme In Our Time this week - a discussion of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. A point made was that Hardy is said to have claimed that Tess's appearance was based on Lady Agatha Thornycroft (nee Cox) - wife of the famous Victorian sculptor, Sir Hamo Thornycroft. However, there is... Continue Reading →
In Our Time, BBC Radio 4. A discussion of Tess of the D'urbervilles. On iPlayer https://uk.pinterest.com/longvictorian2/thomas-hardy/
Poor Jude. Life somehow got in the way. Jude was the first adult book I ever read. Bromley Public Library. A strange choice really, especially given the ending! Even so, I could tell there was something magical about it – the power of writing and dreams. https://uk.pinterest.com/longvictorian2/thomas-hardy/
No. 7. Arabella Donn and Jude Fawley from Jude the Obscure Spoiler alert! Wonderful writing, but such a sad tale. Jude was the first adult book I ever read. Thank you, Bromley Public Library. A strange choice for a child really, especially given the ending! Even so, I could tell there was something magical about... Continue Reading →
The Long Victorian 