Monday, March 7, 2016

Anacrusis

Welcome to 'Joy Lies Slain,' a blog dedicated to the systematic study and exploration of the life, writing and legacy of writer Thomas Hardy. I suppose that the first question that might occur to someone stumbling upon this blog for the first time is, "Why Hardy?"


The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs:
Print Collection, The New York Public Library. "Thomas Hardy" 

The New York Public Library Digital Collections
Thomas Hardy has been my favorite writer since I was a teen, which, by way of context, was during the administration of the Bush the Elder. I read some of his poetry for my British Literature class in high school and loved his ability to sketch these powerfully emotional scenes in a short space. That same year, I read Jude the Obscure, Hardy's final novel. It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever read, which was no small feat as I'd been reading Stephen King novels since grade school. It was scary in a different way. It was the story of the way that the world crushes a man and makes it as if he'd never existed.

Of course, any writer has the power to create a character and then destroy it. What got me so deeply was the obvious affection that the author had for his protagonist. Jude was a lovable character. He strove. He made bad decisions but almost always for the right reasons. His life was brutish and short, filled with horrors I couldn't fathom experiencing. Hardy's writing was lyrical, bursting with lavish descriptions of nature, people, places, buildings and it made me want, despite the steep downward vector of Jude's own fortune, to step into that place and become a part of it. That was his genius to me then, that juxtaposition of the achingly beautiful and the soul-crushingly depraved.

In the years since, I've re-read Jude many times, taking something different yet no less vital from it with each return to Wessex. I've read quite a few of Hardy's other novels and been a student of his poetry. Of late, I've found myself thinking of the man and his work quite a bit and, after some deliberation, decided to take a journey in tribute to all that I feel Hardy's writing has done for me.

'Joy Lies Slain' has a five year mission. I'm going to read all of Hardy's novels and poetry in the order they were published and write about it. Along the way, I'm going to dive deep into works that have sprung up around his legacy including: biographies; critical writing; work by authors who were an influence or upon whom Hardy had a recognizable influence; as well as films and music drawn from his work.

And, in the summer of that fifth year, I will take a trip to Dorset in the West Country of England, with my wife and daughter, and finally have my chance to look through the window of time at the places that set my imagination on fire all those years ago.

I know that's a bold proclamation and five years is a long time. I have no idea what Fate has planned for me but I can't think of anything I'd rather accomplish in those five years than drilling deep into the work of my favorite writer and sharing my findings with all who derive pleasure from such things.

I think it's going to be fun.

Reading:Thomas Hardy: A Biography Revisited by Michael Millgate

On Deck: Desperate Remedies (Novel 01)

Listening to: Hossein Alizadeh's Weaving the Garden

20 comments:

  1. Thanks for your work on this! I'm going to enjoy reading your blog and learning from your critical insight as much as you enjoy reading Hardy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so excited for this! Definitely going to follow, and might just start reading from the beginning along with you. I love Hardy, and his portrayals of female characters, but I've read very little of his early stuff. Good luck and have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement, Judy! I'm like most Hardy fans, I suppose, in that I'm more familiar with his later novels and some of his poetry. That said, I'm really excited about this opportunity to read him chronologically to see how ideas and themes develop over the course of his career. The Millgate biography I talk about in my second post does a great job of showing what he was reading and going through that produced some of these development in his works. I'd highly recommend it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. I should be updating two to three times a week! Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A really exciting project! I too am embarking on my own Hardy project as he is the subject of my Masters dissertation... I'm still in the process of defining a specific angle at the moment and have just read the Tomalin biography which is excellent. Looking forward to reading your blog! Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steph,

      Thanks for the recommendation on the Tomalin biography! I plan on reading them all through the course of this blog and writing about the relative strengths and weaknesses. Keep me updated on the development of your dissertation. I'd be interested to know what element(s) you decide to focus on. Happy writing!

      Delete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think this is a fantastic project, and I love Hardy as well :) My favourite story of all time would have to be Tess of the D'Urbervilles with Far From the Madding Crowd coming second. What a literary genius Hardy was, with his expert insight into the human psyche.
    Best of luck with your reading!

    Best,
    Aliza

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aliza,

      Thanks for stopping by to check out the blog. Though I mark my entry into the cult of Hardy with reading Jude at 17, I do remember watching the adaptation of Tess from the 1980s after my mother warned me that it was the saddest story in the world. That obviously left a deep impression!

      Delete
  9. I've been a fan of Hardy's work for a long time too. I'll be following your posts religiously!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maysa,

      Thank you so much for your support in reading!

      Delete
  10. Like you I discovered Thomas Hardy in my teens, although LBJ was president back then. The Return of the Native was my introduction to Hardy's fictional world of Wessex and I have read many others since then. While The Return is still my personal favorite I've read enjoyed many others including Jude. So I welcome your new blogging venture and look forward to your insights into the works of Thomas Hardy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've found with so many Hardy admirers that the first cut is the deepest. I've read The Return of the Native but it's been so long. After reading about Hardy's development process for the different books, I'm really excited to read them all for completely different reasons. Thank you so much for your support in reading, James!

      Delete
  11. Rob, I look forward to following your journey. I am a Hardian of only about six years, but I am in deep now. The BBC's Tess starring Gemma Arterton first captured me. After that, I read Tess (now my favorite novel), a book of his poetry, Millgate's biography, and then Jude. As you can see, I have much still to experience. I'll be taking my own trip to Dorset (among other English locales) with my wife and children later this year. I'm beyond excited. Best of luck with the blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Iosephus,

      That was an exceptional adaptation! If you haven't yet, you should also check out Tamara Drewe with Arterton, which is a loose adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd set in modern times. Lots of nods to Hardy admirers throughout. I've been blown away by the intensity that Hardy seems to inspire in his readers, including myself. Stay in touch! I'd love to see some of those pictures of Dorset when you've returned!

      Delete
  12. You might join us in our GoodReads Thomas Hardy reading group (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/89231-works-of-thomas-hardy). One of our group members pointed us here. We're reading through Hardy in order as well (currently reading The Hand of Ethelberta). I think a 5-year plan is a good idea as I became a little burned out on Hardy after 7 of his novels in a row (4 with the group) and postponed our group reading for about a year. 3 or 4 Hardy novels a year is a better goal. I've also got 2 Hardy biographies on my shelf that I need to dig into because I'm fascinated by what motivated Hardy to write as he did.

    I'm looking forward to reading more here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy,

      Thank you so much for reaching out. I look forward to participating in the GR group. I don't know exactly how the novels will space out across the 5 year reading plan. I plan to go pretty heavily in on the poetry so I have to leave time to properly read and dissect massive pieces like The Dynasts. I'd like to think that my appetite is voracious enough to plow through all the novels in "real time" (so to speak) but I'll get back to you on that after I've completed 7 in a row :)

      Delete