Norman Vance Boeken

Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors- the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in Wessex, Hardy's novel of swiftpassion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships.

Exploring the concept of 'Christian manliness' or 'muscular Christianity', this book offers a unique lens on nineteenth-century life. It delves into the cultural and social implications of this movement, highlighting how it shaped ideals of masculinity and influenced various aspects of society during that era. Through detailed analysis, it uncovers the intersections between faith, physicality, and identity, providing readers with a deeper understanding of historical attitudes towards masculinity and spirituality.

This book explores how the novels of George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Mary Ward, and Rider Haggard acquired greater cultural centrality, just as the authority of the scriptures and of traditional religious teaching seemed to be declining, and offered a new forum for the exploration of religious and moral themes.

The Oxford History of Classical Reception (OHCREL) is designed to offer a comprehensive investigation of the numerous and diverse ways in which literary texts of the classical world have stimulated responses and refashioning by English writers.

Jude Fawley is a rural stone mason with intellectual aspirations. Frustrated by poverty and the indifference of the academic institutions at the University of Christminster, his only chance of fulfilment seems to lie in his relationship with his unconventional cousin, Sue Bridehead.