Thomas Hardy, OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet of the naturalist movement, although in several poems he displays elements of the previous romantic and enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.

While he regarded himself primarily as a poet who composed novels mainly for financial gain, during his lifetime he was much better known for his novels which earned him a reputation as a great novelist. The bulk of his fictional works, initially published as serials in magazines, were set in the semi-fictional land of Wessex (based on the Dorchester region where he grew up) and explored tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances.

Hardy's poetry, first published in his 50s, has come to be as well-regarded as his novels and has had a significant influence over modern English poetry, especially after The Movement poets of the 1950s and 1960s cited Hardy as a major figure.

Tess of the d'Urbervilles:

A Pure Woman Faithfully

Presented

Author Thomas Hardy

Country United Kingdom

Language English

Genre(s) Tragedy

Publication date 1891

Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)

Pages 592

ISBN NA

Preceded by The Woodlanders

Followed by Jude the Obscure

Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented also known as Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman or just Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891. It initially appeared in a censored and serialised version, published by the British illustrated newspaper, The Graphic[1]. It is Hardy's penultimate novel, followed by Jude the Obscure. Though now considered a great classic of English literature, the book received mixed reviews when it first appeared, in part because it challenged the sexual mores of Hardy's day. The original manuscript is on display at the British Library [2] showing the title had originally been "Daughter of the d'Urbervilles" [3].

---Wikipedia