'Under the Greenwood Tree' was his happiest work - no major character is raped, murdered, or suicides, or hung or shot by a deranged lover. The only noted death is that of a friend of themain character (incidentally, the dead man lived in the village I was born in, and had the same surname as my grandfather)...

'Tess' was slated for the murder and alleged rape (come on, she's a country girl, she couldn't be THAT innocent?!) and 'Jude' was dubbed 'Jude the Obscene' because of its content so Hardy vowed never to write another novel. He stuck to writing miserable poetry instead.... not that difficult because he was a particularly morose and taciturn man - my adopted grandfather knew him personally and said he was the most miserly man God ever blew breath into.

LTS