Armstrong, Tim, Haunted Hardy: Poetry, History, Memory, St. Martin's Press, 2000.

This volume focuses on Hardy's poetry and its frequent references to death and ghosts—particularly ghosts of lost children.

Bettey, J. H., Rural Life in Wessex, 1500-1900, Sutton Publishing, 1989.

This nonfiction look at rural Wessex before and during Hardy's time offers an indepth view of the part of England in which Hardy set much of his work.

Mallett, Phillip, ed., The Achievement of Thomas Hardy, Palgrave, 2000.

These essays explore Hardy's fiction and poetry, covering elements such as the nature of storytelling and the relationship between poems and songs.

Mitchell, Sally, Daily Life in Victorian England, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996.

This comprehensive look at both city and country life in Victorian England covers social classes, morals, economics and finance, laws, and more. It includes excerpts from primary source documents and illustrations.

Turner, Paul D. L., The Life...