The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy is an essential introduction to this most enigmatic of writers. These newly commissioned essays from an international team of contributors comprise a general overview of all of Thomas Hardy's work and specific demonstrations of his ideas and literary skills. Individual essays explore Hardy's biography, aesthetics, his famous attachment to Wessex, and the impact on his work of developments in science, religion and philosophy in the late-nineteenth century. The volume also contains a detailed chronology of Hardy's life, and a guide to further reading.

This book offers a fresh approach to Hardy's novel, highlighting its modern qualities. Dale Kramer reexamines the main characters and investigates Hardy's handling of the plot and the novel's characteristics as a tragedy. He gives special consideration to Tess's search for her identity, and the role of her sexuality in this process. He also discusses the work's rural background, its place in Victorian literature, and its influence and reception.