"Thomas Hardy, Sensationalism, and the Melodramatic Mode" provides the first full-length study of sensationalist and melodramatic elements in Hardy's novels. Through a discussion of six of Hardy's texts, this book demonstrates the ways in which he uses the melodramatic mode to advance his critique of established Victorian cultural beliefs through the employment of non-realistic plot devices and sensational "excess."

The first full-length study of sensationalist and melodramatic elements in Hardy's novels uses six of his texts to demonstrate the ways in which Hardy uses the melodramatic mode to advance his critique of established Victorian cultural beliefs through the employment of non-realistic plot devices and sensational 'excess.'