Author+Bio

=Thomas Hardy 1840-1928=

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 Thomas Hardy's life wasn't similar to his stories and his characters from //The Mayor of Casterbridge's// __Susan, Lucetta and Newson.__  He was born June 2, 1840 in Upper Bockhampton located in Southwestern England. His mother had a deep interest in reading and relating all the folk songs and happenings to religion. His father was a stone mason and a violinist. When he was eight years old, he attended Julia Martin's school in Bockhampton although most of what he read came from books found in Dorchester (a neighboring town). Hardy taught himself Latin, German, and French through reading these books. At age 16 he was apprenticed to a local architect John Hicks where he learned much about restoring old houses and churches. Hardy continued to study throughout this time with the Greek scholar Horace Moule.

In 1862, Hardy got a job in London working with the architect Arthur Blomfield. While in London he soaked in all of his surroundings by visiting museums, theaters and studying classic literature. Hardy began writing poetry in London. Although he did not stay there, he chose to return to Dorchester as a church restorer and continued writing there. Since 1867, Hardy wrote poetry and novels and his first part of his career was devoted to novel writing.

He first published anonymously until people became intrigued by his works. His novels were published in magazines in England and America, his first being Under the Greenwood Tree published in 1872. His next novel , Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) was so popular that with the profits, Hardy was able to give up architecture and marry Emma Gifford. Hardy also published collections of short stories and smaller novels. Before his death, he had written over 800 poems, many of them published while he was in his eighties. In 1910, he was awarded the Order of Merit.

Hardy also found happiness in his personal life. His first wife, Emma, died in 1912. Although their marriage had not been happy, Hardy grieved at her sudden death. In 1914, he married Florence Dugale, and she was extremely devoted to him. After his death, Florence published Hardy's autobiography in two parts under her own name. After a long and highly successful life, Thomas Hardy died on January 11, 1928, at the age of 87. The cause of death was classified as as "cardiac syncope", with "old age" given as a contributory factor. His ashes were buried in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey.

**Hardy had a very bleak conception of the world. As evident in The Mayor of Casterbridge and his other major novels, Hardy makes his characters suffer unbearable circumstances and, as a result, learn their place in the universe. The __setting and theme__ of his novels are a resemblance of his own life.**