Thomas Hardy Biography
...y on his work as an author. The same year Hardy triumphed in his success of writing he married his first wife, Emma Gifford. The two remained married until her death in 1912. Emma’s death gave Hardy inspiration and passion to write a collection of poems entitled, Veteris Vestigiae Flammae (Vestiges of an Old Flame). This collection poems was one of Hardy’s finest works which displayed true passion and depth in describing Hardy and Gifford’s love from their first date to the death of Emma. Hardy married again in 1914 just two years after Gifford’s death. He married Florence Dugdale who wrote Hardy’s biography. Throughout Hardy’s life he wrote many novels including: The Woodlanders in 1887 and two volumes of short stories, Wessex Tales in 1888 and Life's Little Ironies in 1894. Along with many novels, Hardy's best recognized novels are The Return of the Native which was written in 1878, which is his most closely knit narrative; The Mayor of Casterbridge written in 1886; Tess of the D'Urbervilles in 1891, made into a movie called Tess in 1979; and Jude the Obscure. Although many of Hardy’s novels were famous they were also very controversial with critics and readers alike. Critics accused Hardy’s novel Jude of being crude for treating sexual attraction as a natural force unopposable by human will, which was strictly taboo in Victor...