Reading Thomas Hardy
I’ve decided to read all Thomas Hardy. Some will think it’s a weird project, I suppose.
I can’t tell how long it will take me. I won’t rush into the books but will read them at my own pace. It will take as long as necessary, so this page will probably be there a long time.
I don’t know yet if I’ll read them in French or in English. It will depend on the length, the possibility to get a French translation and on my laziness. Books read are in bold blue letters, with the related posts. If I know about someone else’s post, I’ll link it too.
According to Wikipedia, the list of books in chronological order is:
1871 : Desperate Remedies (Remèdes désespérés)
OOP in French, sorry. Here are my thoughts about it. I loved it.
1872 : Under the Greenwood Tree.
1873 : A Pair of Blue Eyes (Les yeux bleus)
Available in French.
1874 : Far from the Madding Crowd. (Loin de la foule déchainée)
Available in French.
1875 : The Hand of Ethelberta
1876 : The Return of the Native (Le retour au pays natal)
Available in French.
1880 : The Trumpet-Major
Available in French.
For Guy’s review, click here
1881 : A Laodicean
1882 : Two on a Tower
1886 : The Mayor of Casterbridge
Sense and Sensibility in Wessex
The Mayor of Casterbridge: Lost in translation
1887 : The Woodlanders (Les Forestiers)
Available in French.
1888 : Wessex Tales (a collection of short stories)
1891 : Tess of the d’Urbervilles (Tess d’Urberville)
Available in French.
1891 : A Group of Noble Dames (a collection of short stories)
1894 : Life’s Little Ironies (a collection of short stories)
Love is an unceremonious thing
1895 : Jude the Obscure (1895) (Jude l’Obscur)
Available in French.
For Sarah’s review click here.
1897 : The Well-Beloved
For Guy’s review, click here
I hope you enjoy your project, which is definitely not weird in my opinion. I am looking forward to your reviews.
I have read six of the titles so far, but half of them when I was much younger, when I didn’t appreciate them very much. I’m sure that Far from the Madding Crowd is much better than I thought it was and really I might as well start again from the beginning.
Thanks. I’ll try to read Desperate Remedies in August or September, I don’t know. I hope it’s not too difficult to read in English and especially that there isn’t too much dialect in it.
All the titles are available in kindle versions on Project Gutenberg.
What a marvellous idea. As you know Hardy is one of my all-time favourites. Every so often I have to return to one of his books.
A big thank you for making me discover Hardy, a writer I knew only by name
I like projects like these. Not sure if I’ll ever turn hardy into a project but I do have some of my own as well.
It’s very rare thiat I want to read everything of a writer.
Sounds like a great project! I picked up a copy of Far from the Madding Crowd a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t read it yet. Enjoy your exploration!
Thanks.
Enjoy yours too.
I wonder if I should make this page like the Reading Proust page and add other reviews when I see some. I’ll think about it.
That might be fun!