Thomas Hardy on Screen

The novels of Thomas Hardy have often been regarded as cinematic in their scope and power, and they have inspired some of the most absorbing adaptations of fiction for the big screen. This collection of essays by prominent international Hardy scholars explores both successful and unsuccessful attempts to transfer Hardy's novels to the screen. It provides a fascinating illustrated history of the interpretation and recreation of Hardy's work, from the silent era to television. The essays highlight the challenging nature of Hardy's work, which finds its most powerful reflection in films by controversial directors such as Roman Polanski and Michael Winterbottom. Adaptations on screen have revived Hardy's reputation for new generations of readers, and have reinforced the continuing relevance of his works. This collection offers a stimulating starting-point both for the study of Hardy's novels as films, and of the ways in which cinema and television adaptations illuminate the novels.

Introduction T. R. Wright; 1. Hardy as a cinematic novelist: three aspects of narrative technique T. R. Wright; 2. From painting to cinema: visual elements in Hardy's fiction Roger Webster; 3. Wessex on film Simon Gatrell; 4. The silent era: Thomas Hardy goes way down east Peter Widdowson; 5. Screening the short stories: from the 1950s to the 1990s Roy Pierce-Jones; 6. All fall down: Hardy's heroes on the 1990s cinema screen Judith Mitchell; 7. Far from the Madding Crowd in the cinema: the problem of textual fidelity Keith Wilson; 8. Staging the Native: aspects of screening The Return of the Native Rosemarie Morgan; 9. Screening the flashback: three ways of opening The Mayor of Casterbridge Philip Allingham; 10. The Woodlanders: the conflicting visions of Phil Agland and Thomas Hardy Dale Kramer; 11. Dissonance, simulacra and the grain of the voice in Roman Polanski's Tess of the d'Urbervilles John Paul Riquelme; 12. Romancing the text: genre, indeterminacy and televising Tess of the d'Urbervilles Richard Nemesvari; 13. Adapting Hardy's Jude the Obscure for the screen: a study in contrasts Robert Schweik; Filmography; Bibliography; Index.

The novels of Thomas Hardy have inspired some of the most absorbing adaptations of fiction for the big screen. This collection of essays offers a stimulating starting-point both for the study of Hardy's novels as films, and of the ways in which cinema and television adaptations illuminate the novels.

T. R. Wright is Professor of English at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.