Издательство: | Wordsworth Editions Ltd. |
Дата выхода: | июль 2011 |
ISBN: | 978-1-84022-405-4 |
Объём: | 327 страниц |
"The Well-Beloved" completes the cycle of Hardy`s great novels, reiterating his favourite themes of man`s eternal quest for perfection in both love and art, and the suffering that ensues. Jocelyn Pierston, celebrated sculptor, tries to create an image of his ideal woman - his imaginary "Well-Beloved" - in stone, just as he tries to find her in the flesh. Powerful symbolism marks this romantic fantasy that Hardy has grounded firmly in reality with a characteristically authentic rendering of location, the Isle of Slingers, or Portland as we know it. Overt exploration of the relationship between erotic fascination and creativity makes this novel a nineteenth-century landmark in the persistent debate about art, aesthetics and gender.