Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native

by Harold Bloom (Editor)

A collection of eight critical essays on Hardy's novel "The Return of the Native" arranged in chronological order of publication.

152 pages, Library Binding

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Mumzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations are always a challenge for me. I can't let my mind wander a minute, not even to think of the book itself, or I'll miss the point, and quite often I'll float off into Diggory Venn land and have to back up again. It's kind of like doing algebra underwater, except every now and then one of these smart profs will say something insightful and an explosion of delight will go off in my head, and all the characters suddenly jump up and dance around and forget their worries on Egdon Heath, at which point I have to round them all up again and settle them down before I can return calmly to Dr. Fleishman or Dr. Meisel. It's a daunting task, but I think I like it.