H03081"SEPT03 NOTES AND QUERIES" 9/1/03 HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE

From: "BRIAN DEVONALD" <BRIAN@devonaldspace.freeserve.co.uk>

Subject: The Dynasts

Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 20:43:06 +0100

 A REVIEW OF THE DYNASTS     

 Having just read The Dynasts this is my critical estimation of a work, which was of enormous importance to Hardy himself. The Dynasts, set during   The Napoleonic Wars, was Hardy's epic-drama published 1903-1908.   Composed of three parts it took a panoramic overview of the specific   time period of 1805-1815.The whole drama depended on    Spirit Choric Commentators who were outside of human ministrations - with The Will as The Ultimate: that is, whatever Is ultimate.         The contemporary resonances of The Dynasts abound: The House of Commons   politicians debating for and against The Napoleonic Wars (The Iraq War), The Napoleonic Wars (The Iraq War), Napoleon toppled statue (Saddam Hussein   toppled statue), The Troubled Princess of Wales (Lady Diana Spencer's life).  Hardy also delineated an agreed day of no hostilities on both sides - which did happen soon after The Dynasts was published during World War 1.  So, like Shakespeare, Hardy was capable of visioning the future as well as   acknowledging the past. Thus, The Dynasts stands The Test Of Time - always the    ultimate arbiter in any artistic creations executed by people.         It also contains very fine lyrics, which can easily be put to music: these   include the rhythmic delights of the  "Mad Soldier's Song" and "Budmouth Dears".  So much of Hardy is in The Dynasts- it distils quintessential aspects of his character.  The Dynasts is a good verse drama, which all persons interested in Hardy should   try to read. Taken from Hardy's own words with my re-context: "Magician-like    he (Hardy) holds us in his fist..." that Hardy, as always, is  "Phantasmal in his   elusive mystery..."      The last line of The Dynasts  -   "Consciousness the   Will informing; till It fashion all things fair!" is exactly right. All that   has proceeded has been prejudiced subjectivity  - The Will/ It  / "God" eventually   intervenes with Harmony Eternity. So that we can readily acknowledge that    Hardy wanted things right- it was just that he had to paint life as it was and is:  the twisted realities of circumstances. Applicable to every life - those and them, him    and her, you and I.                                                       

  Brian Devonald

From: "Patrick Roper" <patrick@prassociates.co.uk>

Subject: Canford Manor frieze

Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 15:41:07 +0100

There is an interesting story of the discovery of a marble frieze from ancient Assyria at Canford Manor school in Dorset, and its sale for $11.8 million here:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/record2005.24.html

Chene Manor in TH's story 'Barbara of the House of Grebe' was, I believe, based on Canford Manor, which I understand TH had visited from time to time when it was the home of Lord Wimborne (aka Sir John Guest) and he may therefore have been familiar with the frieze.

I am sure its current appearance in the news would have inspired another of his stories or poems.

Patrick Roper

Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 12:47:19 -0600

Subject: LEFEBURE REVIEW

From: Joan Sheski <harrys@cnetco.com>

Thank you very much, Betty; it seems we are in an age, perhaps no different from others, in which what gets into print or doesn't is certainly not based upon scholarly merit, and at times seems entirely random.  Lefebure may be projecting her own need for sensationalism (as a marketing tool?) upon Thomas Hardy.  It's like a little tiny, grasping mind unable to comprehend one of much more scope and depth.  I would certainly love to get published, but never on those terms!  Joan Sheski

Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 16:15:01 -0400

From: Rosemarie Morgan <rosemarie.morgan@yale.edu>

Subject: Re: LEFEBURE REVIEW

Thanks Joan!

 My own impression of coffee table books is that the "author" isn't required to actually read the literary works she's writing about; rather she culls from summaries or gathers a precis or two from old York Notes or the like. There is nothing in  LEFEBURE to suggest she has ever read a single line of Hardy (take this: "essentially [his] heroines were wild ponies, the so-called heathcroppers," -- 53. Arghh -- And sorry to quibble, Lefebure, but heathcoppers were pretty tame --) And, judging from her account of the suffrage movement she hasn't read Hardy's letters either.    I suspect the dated quality of this book stems from the author's reliance on outmoded profiles borrowed from someone like Gittings (was there anyone like Gittings?) -- but the Wessex overview, for chit-chat purposes at tea-parties, is done well enough. It scarcely matters, does it, that she doesn't know what a "sensation" novel was and that she might confuse it with melodrama? The images, after all, are delightful: the book just doesn't have much to do with Hardy, that's all.

Cheers,

Rosemarie

From: "M S Phillips" <msphillips@ntlworld.com>

Subject: George Perkins Marsh

Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 02:24:47 +0100

Dear all,

I'm researching into Hardy's environmentalist tendencies and am surprised that I have yet to encounter any proof that he might have read or at least knew of George Perkins Marsh and his 1864 study _Man and Nature_.  If anyone has any leads, I would be grateful.

Best,

M S Phillips