[hardy-l] Query

[Betty Cortus]

Dear All,
This message came to me from a new Forum Member.  I will respond to  
it below, and invite others to respond as well.
Thanks,
Betty

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Arvind raina <peas_n_ponds at hotmail.com>
> Date: February 28, 2009 7:00:50 PM PST
> To: <bcortus at hardy-l.com>
> Cc: <ttha at st-andrews.ac.uk>
> Subject: query
>
> Dear Sir/Ma'am
>
> I have just finished reading Jude the Obscure and now planning to  
> start Return of the Native. I enjoy reading his novels but find  
> Hardy's language particulary difficult. I intend to read all the  
> works of Hardy but in a way that I understand each and everything  
> mention in it.
>
> Hence, I am just about to start finding the meanings of words and  
> phrases used in his writings, which is going to be a long journey.
>
> I would appreciate if you could throw some light on Hardys way of  
> writing and his times and the language so it is easy for me to  
> understand what I am reading. I am 38 with no knowlegde of  
> literature. This is the first time I read Hardy' novel and I really  
> liked it. wish to finish them all one by one. Need help.
>
> Thanks, Indeed
> Warm Regards
> Arvind Raina
> 9871368348

Dear Arvind,

A hearty welcome to the Hardy Forum Discussion Group, and  
congratulations on choosing to study Hardy's work!  You have come to  
the right place in joining our Discussion Group.  Our members range  
from newcomers to Hardy like yourself, to seasoned scholars.  We are  
a friendly lot, and only too happy to answer even the most basic  
questions, so please feel comfortable directing your questions to  
this list.

Here are some other suggestions for starters:

Hardy had a very large and rich vocabulary, and although 19th Century  
English can be difficult for modern readers just starting out, it  
does become much easier as you go along.  Hardy also looked back to  
words now obsolete,  he coined words, and used dialect, or rarely  
used words in his endeavor to find just the right one for his  
purpose. Quite a few editions of his novels contain glossaries of  
these less-common words, and it would be a good idea to look for  
these before you purchase an edition.

When I was starting out reading the novels myself, I found it helpful  
to make lists of unfamiliar words and phrases, take them to the  
library, and look for them in the multi-volume  _Oxford English  
Dictionary_  which can be found in most good libraries, and is very  
useful on definitions of obsolete and unusual words.

There are also some excellent books on this subject if you can locate  
them. One of these is Ralph W.V. Elliott's  Thomas Hardy's English,  
and another is F. B Pinion's A Thomas Hardy Dictionary.

However, finally,  I will go back to  my original suggestion, do make  
use of the accrued knowledge to be found amongst our own Forum  
members,  and do not hesitate to direct your questions right here to us.

Good luck with your new pursuit, I'm sure you will find it enormously  
rewarding!

Betty Cortus, Forum Director
bcortus at HARDY-L.com



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://coyote.csusm.edu/pipermail/hardy-l/attachments/20090301/c471cf23/attachment.html