SOURCE: Rinaker, Clarissa. Review of Thomas Hardy from Serial to Novel. Journal of English and Germanic Philology 28 (January 1929): 144-47.

In the following review of Thomas Hardy from Serial to Novel, Rinaker expresses some doubt that Victorian readers actually compelled Hardy to make changes in the serialized versions of his novels.

Here is a book [Thomas Hardy from Serial to Novel] that threatens the reputation of Thomas Hardy as a conscientious literary artist, however the facts disclosed by Professor Chase may be interpreted after further study of his life and letters. It shows that Hardy made very radical changes in his novels when they were published serially, changes much more important than the prefaces to the books would suggest. Professor Chase's conclusions are based on a study of three novels, a comparison of the texts of the serial issues with two or more book editions of The Mayor of...