Hardy Returns to Dorset and Writes His First Novel
Poet involved
What happened
Ill-health, caused by the proximity of his London office to the polluted Thames, forced Hardy to return to Dorset. He found work with John Hicks and wrote his first novel, The Poor Man and the Lady, which was ultimately rejected by publishers.
Literary impact
The return to Dorset reconnected Hardy with the rural landscape and communities that would become the heart of his literary world. The rejection of his first novel, though disappointing, redirected his efforts toward a more plot-driven style that would lead to his first successes, while the themes of social class and inequality in the novel foreshadowed the concerns of his mature work.
Source: University of Delaware
