H05035 M.MILLGATE'S NEW BIOGRAPHY REVIEW - 4/22/05 - HARDY FORUM ARCHIVES ____________________________________________________________________________

From: schweikr@localnet.com

Subject: Michael Millgate's New Hardy Biograpy

Date: April 22, 2005 1:01:39 PM PDT

Reviews of Michael Millgate's Thomas Hardy: A Biography Revisited

have been very favorable. I know of at least one other forthcoming review

that is also altogether positive. One exception to that pattern of very

favorable reviews was John Lucas's in the February 25 issue of TLS.

Now, the director of TTHA's biography page, Richard Nemesvari,

has responded to the Lucas review in TLS, No. 5324, 15 April 2005,

p. 15, calling attention to a gross factual error at the opening of that

review and challenging Lucas's claim that Millgate's new biography

has limited 'intellectual and cultural scope.'

When one thinks of Millgate's contribution in providing remarkably

broad and accurate information about Hardy in his intellectual and

cultural milieu over the course of a quarter of a century, there is a

certain absurdity to Lucas's claim. Richard Nemesvari's response is,

it seems to me, not only altogether justified but, in fact, very restrained.

For one example of a searching and favorable review, Forum

members who are also members of TTHA can read the fine

review by William Davis by going to

http://www.yale.edu/hardysoc/mrr/reviews/millgate.wd.html

And, I should add, if you can't access that splendid and informative

review, you should join TTHA. You can easily do so by going to

http://www.yale.edu/hardysoc/Welcome/memform.htm

All the best!

Bob

Robert Schweik

University Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus

State University of New York

Fredonia, NY 14063

schweik@fredonia.edu

schweikr@localnet.com

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From: rnemesva@stfx.ca

Subject: RE: Michael Millgate's New Hardy Biograpy

Date: April 23, 2005 2:13:58 PM PDT

As Bob points out in his earlier message, I am currently engaged in something of a "tiff" with John Lucas, in the letters page of the Times Literary Supplement, over his review of Michael Millgate's Thomas Hardy: A Biography Revisited. Lucas responds to my letter with one of his own in a more recent TLS, and I in turn have just sent off another squib, which the TLS editors may or may not publish, given that they could quite correctly feel the brickbats are getting a little thick in the air.

I will, of course, in the name of fairness, be posting Luckas' article (and my response) to the "Reviews" section of the LIFE page, along with the more favourable (and in my opinion more accurate) reviews mentioned by Bob, once I have finished digging myself out from under my current pile of final exams. For what it's worth, I think Lucas' review is glib and without substance, and really not worthy of the depth of scholarship on display in Millgate's book, although even Lucas is forced to recognize a number of its obvious strengths. I'm not sure why the TLS chose him for the job, but I think they made a mistake in doing so.

Richard Nemesvari

Department of English

St. Francis Xavier University

rnemesva@stfx.ca

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From: hardycor@owl.csusm.edu

Subject: RE: Michael Millgate's New Hardy Biograpy

Date: April 23, 2005 3:04:24 PM PDT

I am happy to hear ,Richard, that the Review, your defense of the book, and

the ensuing letters will be posted to your Life Page. I am sure that many,

like myself, who have not seen the debate have already had their curiosity

piqued.

Thanks for alerting us to this.

Betty

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