The second Mrs Hardy

by Robert and MANTON GITTINGS, Jo Manton

Bound in red cloth with the spine stamped in gilt.

150 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1979

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating study of Thomas Hardy’s second wife Florence Dugdale. She was a school teacher in her twenties who married Hardy who was in his late sixties. Gittings & Manton generally steer clear of Dugdale’s “psychological" reasons for this unbalanced match; focusing on the facts as they are know. Obviously the reader can draw their own conclusions. Dugdale is not a person I warm to, she seemed to much in awe of the upper-class and constantly strived to attain recognition as writer, that in the end came to nothing. Ironically, it was after Hardy’s death, when she became a wealthy woman, that she came into her own, acting as a benefactor to the local Dorset hospital. This was a slim volume, but an interesting and worthwhile read for those interested in Thomas Hardy.