Hardy.

This is the only biography of Thomas Hardy that I have read so I cannot compare it to others. I thoroughly enjoyed it. An earlier reviewer is correct: Seymour-Smith provides outstanding analysis of Hardy's novels but spends less time on his poetry. There is good reason: Seymour-Smith uses the novels as the vehicle to narrate Hardy's life, and for that reason he does not critique Hardy's poetry to great extent. But to the extent he does, he does a very nice job. About halfway through it struck me that Seymour-Smith provides a full accounting of Hardy's life, including much more of his sexual being than I would have expected. It intrigued me enough to research Seymour-Smith and it turns out he is known for his reporting on sexual life of his subjects. In many cases, this information may not be important, but due to the nature of Hardy's themes, being familiar with Hardy's sexual being is very, very important if one is to better understand his novels. I never found the biography boring. It has now become a great reference book; I will re-read the appropriate chapter before tackling the next Hardy novel. I can understand this biography being rated four (4) stars, but anything less is inappropriate. One star says more about a reviewer than the biography.