Hardy the Creator: A Textual Biography

Never satisfied with what he wrote, Hardy was known to revise his work at every opportunity offered him by his publisher. He was anxious to make a living from his writing, but he also was concerned about telling the truth about the world as he saw it. In late Victorian England these two goals often conflicted. This study gives the first detailed account of how Hardy came to terms with this conflict. It integrates a study of his work on the texts of his novels from first draft to final revised edition, with a description of his dealings with magazine editors, publishers and printers, and their effect upon his writing.