Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840, in Higher Bockhampton, a hamlet near Dorchester in Dorset, England. His father was a stonemason and his mother worked as a flax-dresser. However, when he was 12 years old his father died and the family moved to London to live with relatives. Hardy was educated at King's College School and then returned to Dorset to become an architect's apprentice. He soon gave up architecture for poetry, however, and began to write short stories for magazines and newspapers. Thomas Hardy is best known for his novels, which were all published at the end of 19th century. His last novels, "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" and "Jude the Obscure", are often mentioned as his best work. They challenge societal values by portraying controversial issues such as the hardships of working-class people.