Thomas Hardy is one of the most beloved and most-read British authors. His influence on literature and the minds of his readers is singular. But how is it that the novelist who created some of the most memorable and modern female characters in literature had such troubled relationships with real women?
Magnificent ... A masterful storyteller and meticulous researcher, Byrne shows us how the women in Hardy’s work are based on the women in his life. But she does so with the delicacy of a hummingbird, darting from point to point, suggesting but never concluding ... Byrne is at her best when she digs into the Hardys’ unhappy marriage.
Hefty ... Engagingly written, if unbridled ... Byrne runs into trouble in the chapters concerning Hardy’s prolific literary output. Her synopses of the novels are confusing even to someone familiar with them, and her analyses are frequently redundant ... It takes a hardy Hardy reader to make it through this overly long biography from cover to cover.
Unconventional ... Byrne, through diligent and masterful detective work, uncovers the obscure parts of his lifelong fascination (invariably erotic) with women ... Hardy himself occasionally gets lost in the sheer stream of people with which Byrne populates her narrative ... Byrne’s book is indispensable reading.
