Thomas Hardy on screen /

Hardy (1840-1928) was preoccupied with tensions between tradition and modernity, and his novels are often described as "cinematic" or "filmic." Accordingly, he is an ideal subject for a collection of essays considering the adaptation of fiction to film. Comprising 13 essays by prominent Hardy scholars and an introduction by Wright (Univ. of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK), this volume is divided into three sections: theme and technique across Hardy's oeuvre; film, both silent and current, and television adaptations of his work; and close readings of adaptations of each major novel. The first section is the strongest: here one finds insights into Hardy's narrative technique, his use of visual elements, the translation of those elements into film, and artistic and commercial concerns surrounding the medium of cinema (which emerged toward the end of the author's life). Peter Widdowson's essay on Hardy's responses to adaptations made during his lifetime, none of which survive, is particularly interesting. Ultimately, the collection calls for adaptors of Hardy to be as daring and subversive on screen, thematically as well as visually, as the author himself was on paper. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. J. M. Utell Widener University