Hardy's Fables of Integrity : Woman, Body, Text

In this fresh reading of seven of Hardy's major novels, Carson argues that the fiction is shaped by a pervasive anxiety about the body and about bodily disintegration. Starting with the many somatic images and metaphors within the novels, she uncovers a subtext about the threat of bodily and psychic dissolution that shapes both Hardy's powerful depiction of nature and his ambivalent treatment of women. Focusing on such neglected aspects of Hardy's fiction as the figurative dimension of his language and his treatment of minor characters, and his peculiarities of tone, plotting, and characterization, this study will substantially change the ways in which his works are interpreted.Garson, Marjorie A. is the author of 'Hardy's Fables of Integrity : Woman, Body, Text', published 1991 under ISBN 9780198122234 and ISBN 0198122233.