Thomas Hardy's Pastoral An Unkindly May

“A welcome addition to Hardy scholarship and an important corrective to its prose-centrism in recent decades. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty.” (D. K. Kreisel, Choice, Vol 53 (11), July, 2017)

“Indy Clark’s Thomas Hardy’s Pastoral is a comprehensive, constantly stimulating critical appreciation of Hardy’s rich poetry in technique and subject-matter.” (Michael Thorpe, English Studies, Vol. 98 (4), 2017)

“Clark’s approach to the subject is a complete departure from earlier treatments … . Thomas Hardy’s Pastoral is a seminal work and it is one that certainly will be considered a valuable contribution to Hardy studies and which will open new areas in Hardy scholarship. … The writing throughout this book is engaging and enjoyable … . this book is a wonderful addition to studies on Hardy’s poetry.” (Professor Paul Neimeyer, The Thomas Hardy Association’s Book Reviews, Vol. 18, 2016)

“It is critically alert, rewarding, and welcome. … The concept of ‘pastoral’, as this book shows, is elusive, contested, and historically contingent, but in Clark’s hands it provides a valuable lens through which to read Hardy’s verse.” (Phillip Mallett, The Hardy Society Journal, Vol. 12 (1), 2016)