Thomas Hardy.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 95, 21 April 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

Thomas Hardy.

The Wessex Novelist at Home.

An Interesting Chat.

The serious threepenny monthly known aa ' The Young Man 'is strong, writes our London correspondent, on literary interviews. The March issue contains one with Thomas Hardy, who apparently chats considerably more freely at home than abroad. The only time I ever mob him was aba lunch in Tqwn, when he and my friend Barrie were by way of being the lions. From beginning to end of the meal, littlo beyond ' yes ' or ' no ' could be extracted from either. Afber chronicling thab Mr Hardy has given up smoking, Mr Dolman (the * Young Man ' interviewer) announces that he is about bo publish a volume of short stories called ' A Group of Noble Dames.' Of course he means • Life Little Tiomes,' as the former was published two years ago. • I like doing a 6horb story occasionally,' eaid Mr Hardy, 'if only as a relief to the tension of writing threevolume novels.' Mr Hardy by no means agrees with the belief thab there is greater arb required in writing short; stories than in long. ' With a shorb story you have simply one episode to deal with, and ib cannob possibly call for as much effort or for more arb than a number of incidents standing as cause and effect in their relation bo each other.'

The novelist does nob believe thab a man's

Imaginative Poweks

become naturally exhausted. ' I believe if he liked, a man could go on writing till hia physical strength gave out.' Mr Hardy thinks that most men—such as Scotb and Dickens—exhaust themßalves prematurely by something artificial, while he himself spends six months of the year in the country and seldom pays a visit.

They speak next of Mr Hardy's essay into dramatic authorship last year. Hia little play was one of a programme of five, a bad arrangement. Consequently,, ib;a run was a short one.'

'I was more'unfortunate in that matter/ says Mr Hardy, • than you may suppose. I was foolish enough to part, with the acting rights of' The Three Wayfarers,' for a period of live years, so thab there is nod much prospect of the thing seeing the lighb again for some time.' 'Bub shall you nob write"another play V 'I don't know that I shall. In ray opinion the drama is an Inferior Form of Art. although there are, it is true, greater possibilities in it in one sense, appealing as ib does ho powerfully and directly to the feelings and emotions. But on the stage you can take such liberties with your characters, bringing about sudden changes in their temperaments and motives that would be ridiculous in a novel; while, on the other hand, you are seriously embarrassed, by limitations of time and space. A play which the papers praise as really first- rate ranks in point of art, and, above all char-acter-drawing, no higher than a second or third-rate novel. 1

1 Then the author is so depondenb on the actors and actresses.'

1 Yes, they may pub into or take out of the play almost as much as the author, not altogether in words, but in characterisation. I was much struck with this whea conducting the rehearsals of an adaptation of one of my novels Borne years ago for the stage. And then when I went with Barrie to see his play, "Walker, London," ib was mosb awkward.* I would laugh at some line or other, and say, • Ah, now, that's good.' ' Oh, that's nob mine, that's Toole's,' Barrie would mournfully reply. ' There is a good deal that is fresh since I was here last.' •Do you attach much practical importance to Criticism 2' \ 'To the new aubhor, certainly ; criticism may make or mar his book. I remember, for instance, how the sale of " Desperate Remedies;" which had been fairly good, almost stopped after the appearance of a very severe notice. On the other hand, condemnations of "Tees of the D'Urber* villes" had no effect whatever on the popularity of the book.'

* Toss is wonderfully popular.' 1 Yes, but the frankness of the book has brought me some asperities in the shape of letters and reviews mostly. In writing the story I expected such criticism, bub the criticism has nob come from the people I expected. There have been very few objectora really ; in their secret hearts people know there is nothing honestly to objecb to.. As a matter of facb, my tone has been the same in regard bo moral questions for the twenty years or more J have beea writing.' He thinks thab the objections to the book come principally from wives who have played the part of Tese

Without Telling Their Husbands, and husbands who have played the part of Alec without telling their wives. In his advice, to a beginner, Mr Hardy would say that it is a mistake to begin publishing very young. The youngsters will hardly agree with this. A man's First Efforts are aloaosb sure to be imitative. What was my own beginning ? Well, I scribbled from the age of sixteen, bub my first book was nob published till 1871, The firafc thing of mine which saw the. light was a short papei in " Chambers' Journal," which I called, •• How I Builb Myself a House," written when I was still designing churches with Sir Arthur Blomfield whose portrait, by the way, hangs over there.' ' Tesa of the D'Urbervilles' is founded on events which actually happened in a family which is now living, n> though some of the novelist* indignant correspondents ara { arwwaro of the fact. Thr old house of fchot ! .OTJrbervillee, for example in which Tesi ! make* her confession:''on )be day i ' 'iep rourrjstge wiibh Angel Clare, i bub ten miieg frr-m Max Gate. Ib itfknowm bt> as ''Well* ' brulao Bouse/bub asVWoolbriu 8 House,