Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Dwelling on Hardy -- Apprehension, suspension, abstention: Desperate remedies (1871) -- Distortions and transformations: Under the greenwood tree (1872), A pair of blue eyes (1873) -- Being and dwelling: Far from the madding crowd (1874),The return of the native (1878), Two on a tower (1882) -- Uncommon events: The trumpet major (1880), A laodicean (1881), The mayor of Casterbridge (1886) -- Confessions of the other: The woodlanders (1887), Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891), Jude the obscure (1895) -- Afterword.

"No other major author of the nineteenth century has arguably produced as much critical activity as Thomas Hardy. This timely addition to the Critical Issues series explores the various philosophical views of critics, with close textual analysis of Hardy's novels and with reference to his poetry"--Provided by publisher.