Thomas Hardy - the Mayor of Casterbridge / Jude the Obscure

This is a wide-ranging and accessible guide to the critical history of two of Hardy's most popular tragic novels, from the time of their publication to the present day.It provides wide-ranging coverage of the critical history of two of Hardy's most popular and widely-studied tragic novels. It examines contemporary reviews and traces the critical response through to the present day. It explores different theoretical approaches to the text. It features a chapter on film and television adaptations.This Reader's Guide analyses the critical history of two of Hardy's major tragic novels, from the time of their publication to the present. Simon Avery traces the changing critical fortunes of the texts and explores the diverse range of interpretations produced by different theoretical approaches.