A Pair of Blue Eyes

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet whose works are among the classics of Victorian literature. Best known for novels such as *Tess of the d'Urbervilles*, *Far from the Madding Crowd*, and *Jude the Obscure*, Hardy explored themes of fate, social convention, love, and the conflict between individuals and society. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times and is regarded as one of England's greatest novelists.