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'''Thomas Hardy''' (June 2, 1840 - January 11, 1928) was an [[English]] novelist and poet. Typically, his stories take place in the fictional, pastoral county of [[Wessex]] (roughly corresponding to [[Dorset]], [[Wiltshire]], [[Somerset]], [[Devon]], [[Hampshire]], [[Berkshire]] and [[Oxfordshire]]), and feature themes such as tragedy, passion, fortune, death, religion and social status. Wessex first featured in ''[[Far From the Madding Crowd]]'', his first major literary success. Further literary classics include ''[[The Mayor of Casterbridge]]'', ''[[Tess of the D'Urbervilles]]'' and ''[[Jude the Obscure]]''.  Most of his novels were initially written as serials, such that segments were published in periodicals and endings were designed to hold the readers' interest for the next segment.  Only his novels ''Desperate Remedies'' (1871) and ''Under The Greenwood Tree'' (1872) were initially published as books.

'''Thomas Hardy''' (June 2, 1840 - January 11, 1928) was an [[English]] [[novel]]ist and poet. Typically, his stories take place in the fictional, pastoral county of [[Wessex]] (roughly corresponding to [[Dorset]], [[Wiltshire]], [[Somerset]], [[Devon]], [[Hampshire]], [[Berkshire]] and [[Oxfordshire]]), and feature themes such as tragedy, passion, fortune, death, religion and social status. Wessex first featured in ''[[Far From the Madding Crowd]]'', his first major literary success. Further literary classics include ''[[The Mayor of Casterbridge]]'', ''[[Tess of the D'Urbervilles]]'' and ''[[Jude the Obscure]]''.  Most of his novels were initially written as serials, such that segments were published in periodicals and endings were designed to hold the readers' interest for the next segment.  Only his novels ''Desperate Remedies'' (1871) and ''Under The Greenwood Tree'' (1872) were initially published as books.

Despite becoming a celebrity in his own time, Hardy was disheartened by the negative criticisms of the themes and characters in his novels, and having always preferred writing poetry, he stopped writing novels, and concentrated on his poetry.

Despite becoming a celebrity in his own time, Hardy was disheartened by the negative criticisms of the themes and characters in his novels, and having always preferred writing poetry, he stopped writing novels, and concentrated on his poetry.