The Older Hardy

The Older Hardy examines Thomas Hardy's life and work from middle age through his final years, focusing on the period after 1892. This biographical study serves as a companion volume to Gittings' earlier work Young Thomas Hardy. Robert Gittings draws on extensive research and primary sources to document Hardy's later literary achievements, personal relationships, and evolution as a writer. The book covers Hardy's transition from novels to poetry, his marriage to Florence Dugdale, and his experiences during World War I. Gittings analyzes Hardy's creative process during this period through letters, notebooks, and manuscripts. The work provides context for Hardy's major late-period publications while exploring his daily life in Max Gate and his connections to the literary world. The biography reveals the interconnections between Hardy's personal experiences and his artistic output, highlighting themes of mortality, memory, and the passage of time that dominated his later works. Through this lens, readers gain understanding of how Hardy's mature perspective shaped his literary legacy.

Readers note this biography covers Hardy's later life with deep research and detailed focus on his relationships, particularly with his first wife Emma and second wife Florence. Many appreciate Gittings' thorough scholarship and use of personal letters and documents to illuminate Hardy's personality and writing process. Readers liked: - Examination of Hardy's poetry after Emma's death - Clear chronological organization - Connection between Hardy's life events and his literary works Readers disliked: - Dense academic writing style - Too much detail about minor incidents - Less engaging than The Young Hardy (Gittings' companion biography) Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (27 ratings) Amazon: Not enough reviews for rating "The biographical details are meticulously researched but the prose can be dry" - Goodreads reviewer "Best at analyzing Hardy's creative response to Emma's death" - Academic journal review Note: Limited online reviews available as this is an academic text from 1978.

The Early Life of Thomas Hardy by Michael Millgate A biographical examination of Hardy's formative years reveals the origins of themes and patterns that shaped his literary works.

Thomas Hardy's Later Years by Florence Emily Hardy Hardy's second wife presents his life through collected letters, notes, and personal observations during his final decades.

Thomas Hardy: The Time-Torn Man by Claire Tomalin The biography traces Hardy's transformation from a rural architect to a renowned writer through documentation and correspondence.

Young Thomas Hardy by Robert Gittings The companion volume explores Hardy's early development with focus on his first marriage and emergence as a novelist.

Hardy of Wessex by Carl Weber The study connects Hardy's fictional Wessex with the real Dorset landscape and examines how the region influenced his writing.

🔖 Robert Gittings spent over 40 years researching Thomas Hardy's life and works before writing this book, which covers the final three decades of Hardy's life (1892-1928). 🔖 The book reveals how Hardy's second wife Florence was instrumental in shaping his public image after his death, carefully controlling which letters and documents were preserved. 🔖 During the period covered in this book, Hardy abandoned novel writing entirely and returned to his first love - poetry, producing some of his most celebrated collections. 🔖 Gittings won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the W.H. Smith Literary Award for his biographical works on John Keats, making him one of the most respected literary biographers of his time. 🔖 The book explores Hardy's complex relationship with early cinema, including his mixed feelings about the 1913 silent film adaptation of his novel "Far from the Madding Crowd."