Nick writes:

Thomas Hardy

Born on June 2, 1840 Thomas Hardy's life was lived as a poet,
novelist, and even play writer. Thomas's life was not much like
the lives of his characters in his stories, but there are some
underlining similarities. He, like Jude in the novel Jude the
Obscure is a stonemason who dreams of being deeper in the
literature world. And even more similar he specializes in the
reconstruction of churches exactly like Jude does. Thomas Hardy
lived, and grew up in Dorchester, and was brought into
architecture by his father after his mother paid for his
education. Thomas Hardy always considered himself a poet rather
than a Book writer, and in some occasions wrote books more for
financial gain than for the love of writing. He wrote sixteen
novels, nine short stories collections, six plays, and many many
poems. Some of these poems include poems written in letters to
his love up to 40 years after her death. When Thomas Hardy was in
his prime he lived with his wife in London writing many novels.
Towards the end of Hardy's years he returned to his true love of
poetry and happily finished his career with these additions of
literature. Thomas Hardy a Poet at heart wrote novels poems and
short stories loved by many. Novels like Jude the Obscure make it
easy to see why people love his novels