A Pair of Blue Eyes

Like a dry run for Tess in some respects. This is of real interest because it's so autobiographical. To understand the importance of the village of Endelstow (East and West) you have to bear in mind Hardy's own experience of travelling to "Lyonesse" or "Off Wessex" (Cornwall, to the rest of us). A thirty-something Hardy, still struggling with his future career, came to St Juliot working as a jobbing architect. He fell in love with the sister-in-law of the local priest, Emma Gifford (the sister-in-law, that is, they didn't let women be priests in those days). He subsequently married her, and regretted it until the day she died.

The story reflects Hardy's own life-story. Two men compete for the hand of Elfride Swancourt - an idealized version of Emma. One is an architect (Hardy's profession at the time); one is a writer (the profession he was trying to break into). The architect is too poor (like Hardy was) for the girl's family. Eventually, after many adventures, the men come back to Cornwall to see who she will have. Unfortunately they forgot they were in a Hardy novel..... but I'll leave you to discover the ending.

As I said, a dry-run for Tess. Through no fault of her own, Elfride's reputation is "ruined". Why are Hardy's heroines often so perfect?  

There's plenty of Hardy's usual obsessions - death, a pushy mother, social differences.  

The trip to East Endlestow as an assistant architect, where he met Emma Gifford who was to become his first wife, is remembered by Hardy in his lyrical and touching poem, "When I set off for Lyonesse".