Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Well it was ok but definitely not as good as the ITV version, the actors just didn't fit the characters very well imho.

I think Gemma is good and adds a bit of fire to the part, but the men just look too young and wet. Anna Massey was great in her small role.

My favourite is still the film version with Peter Firth and Nastasia Kinski.

I am enjoying Lost in Austen for what it is though the Darcy looks kindof odd to me...

Wasn't sure what to make of it really, but then I've never read the book so my concept is more like the film version with Peter Firth and Nastassja Kinski - as StephanieLea mentioned.  Of course, that film could have been a really crap adaptation for all I know! 

I'll keep watching, but so far there are other BBC book mini-series I've enjoyed a lot more - Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, Bleak House, etc...  Something about this production bugged me, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Even so, it's made me want to read the novel!    (I've read a fair amount of Hardy poetry, but not the novels.)

Even so, it's made me want to read the novel!    (I've read a fair amount of Hardy poetry, but not the novels.)

i didn't watch it last night -- couldn't stay awake!
But for a starting place on Hardy novels, I recommend Far From The Madding Crowd!

But for a starting place on Hardy novels, I recommend Far From The Madding Crowd!

Thanks for the recommendation! 

I enjoyed part 1 of Tess and will keep watching.  My husband thought it was pretty good too.

When Tess decided to go with Alec on the horse I moaned and my husband asked afterwards "How did you know that was going to happen?" Because she made the mistake of being a Hardy character of course.

Did any of you see the Thomas Hardy biography show last Sunday night?

Did any of you see the Thomas Hardy biography show last Sunday night?

No.  I bought a friend this book last year.  Before I gave it to him, I managed to read a bit of it & it was a good read as far as I got!  Also I got to attend a Hardy presentation at last year's Ilkley Literature Festival that was really interesting - two actors did a programme that encompassed telling Hardy's biography interspersed with readings of his poems. 

The friend that I gave the book to - he really likes Jude the Obscure...but then he's really into tales of abject misery & woe too.

I was trying to multi-task while watching this so wasn't able to give it my undivided attention. But you could also take that to mean it wasn't capturing my attention either. My in-laws gave it a thumbs down after the first 45 minutes as a poor adaptation. If I can find the time, I may try to watch on iPlayer and give it one more shot.

Far from the Madding Crowd is a great book but it lulls you into a false sense of security as far as Hardy is concerned,  it's the only one of his books that I can think of that has a semi-happy ending!   

it lulls you into a false sense of security

 

No.  I bought a friend this book last year.  Before I gave it to him, I managed to read a bit of it & it was a good read as far as I got!  Also I got to attend a Hardy presentation at last year's Ilkley Literature Festival that was really interesting - two actors did a programme that encompassed telling Hardy's biography interspersed with readings of his poems. 

Watching the TV bio I kept thinking "Poor first wife. Never appreciated (or even noticed) until she was dead." I wonder how accurate it was?

Watching the TV bio I kept thinking "Poor first wife. Never appreciated (or even noticed) until she was dead." I wonder how accurate it was?

If that's how they depicted the relationship with his first wife - yeah, from what I know, that was pretty much the case.  It's like he cared for her while they were courting, but once they married... 

ETA: I do think there were some personality clashes with them, however, because she strongly disapproved of some of his novels' subject matter - thinking them immoral, indecent, etc.  After she died, it seemed he then idealised his memories of the marriage.  Peculiar fellow!

And it's been argued (rather successfully I would say) - that her death is really what made him as a poet...IIRC, his novels came earlier in his career.  After she died, he turned increasingly to writing poetry and a lot of that written as strange requiems (I can't think of the word I'm trying to think of...<something> kind of verse, but requiem isn't it - that's musical...elegiac verse - that's it!) to his first wife - like love letters to her once she was gone, despite not really treating her well when she was alive.  Which, I think, in turn kind of irritated his second wife - big surprise! 

Thanks Mrs. Robinson!  This is why I love literary biography. Thomas Hardy: wouldn't want to be married to him, but so interesting to read about!

Thanks Mrs. Robinson!  This is why I love literary biography. Thomas Hardy: wouldn't want to be married to him, but so interesting to read about!

You do know the story of his heart, yeah?     Well apart from that his heart is supposedly buried in Stinsford, whereas the rest of him (ashes) are in Poets' Corner?

The legend as recounted by Andy McSmith in The Independent, Mar 31, 2007:

Thomas Hardy's heart

When the great writer died, in January 1928, an argument over whether he should have a national or local funeral ended in compromise. His ashes are in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, next to Charles Dickens's, while in St Michael's Church, Stinsford, Dorset, there is a gravestone marked: "Here Lies the Heart of Thomas Hardy". The heart was apparently removed by a local surgeon, wrapped in a towel, and placed overnight in a biscuit tin found in the Hardys' kitchen. A legend instantly sprang up, apparently started by one of the domestic staff, that the cat, Cobweb, had prised the lid off the tin and eaten Hardy's heart. The heart in the grave is allegedly a pig's. Years later, the tin turned up, and on it there is an illustration of a kitten catching a bird, with the caption "In disgrace" - which may or may not have been what gave the rumour- monger the idea.

Link

They did talk about the burying of the heart separately on the TV thing, but they didn't mention the cat story!  Didn't mention the biscuit tin either.

I'm kinda wondering why you're reading articles about Napoleon's penis but perhaps it's not polite to ask. No doubt it's part of an important research project you're working on.

Hee hee!  No I'd heard about the cat & the biscuit tin before & that was the first link I found making reference to it!  I love that story - but maybe that makes me weird.

Also there is this lovely, strange little Betjeman Hardy-tribute poem. 

/hijack over!  Sorry!  Today's poetry lesson has concluded.