1742 Thomas Hardy: A Biography, by Michael Millgate (read 9 Oct 1982) I found this 1982 biography of Hardy extremely satisfying. It is hard to see how a biography could be better. Hardy has long been an interest of mine, even though philosophically I have nothing in common with him. In August of 1967 I read what I understood was the best biography of him as of that time (Hardy of Wessex: His Life and Literary Career, by Carl J. Weber.) Certainly this is no longer true--Millgate's surely will be the definitive biography. Hardy's life, while uneventful, I found full of drama. He married his second wife on the same day, Feb 10, 1914, as my parents were married. He died 11 Jan 1928--before I was born. His ashes are buried in Westminster Abbey but his heart is beside his first wife. His second wife died in October 1940. Hardy himself was born 2 June 1840. This was an excellent, excellent book--a real joy to read. ( )