Tess of the D'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy
|
|
| published
| 2003
by Penguin Classics
|
| first published
| 1995 |
| binding
| Paperback |
| isbn
|
0141439599
(isbn13: 9780141439594)
|
| pages
| 592 |
| setting
| United Kingdom |
| description
|
Edited with Notes by Tim Dolin and an Introduction by Margaret R. Higonnet
[close]
Edited with Notes by Tim Dolin and an Introduction by Margaret R. Higonnet
|
| date added
|
01-09-07
|
|
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Read in April, 2008
discarded because i was reading it on-line at work, and now i don't work there anymore.
so is hardy a satirist or a tragedician or what? i can't get a fix on him, and that's quite the pleasure. critics call him dark and gloomy, but i just can't take him wholly serious. mebbe that's just cuz i've only read the first chapter yet. i dunno, mebbe he's settin' it up like a shakespeare plot, with the clown at the first and the drama to come. kinda like his tone of voice, even tho you don't k...more
discarded because i was reading it on-line at work, and now i don't work there anymore.
so is hardy a satirist or a tragedician or what? i can't get a fix on him, and that's quite the pleasure. critics call him dark and gloomy, but i just can't take him wholly serious. mebbe that's just cuz i've only read the first chapter yet. i dunno, mebbe he's settin' it up like a shakespeare plot, with the clown at the first and the drama to come. kinda like his tone of voice, even tho you don't know what he's got at stake in telling this story. just like, 'oh, here it is, you ready or not, here comes a story.' but he's concise, isn't he, tight and exact, no room for frivolries, even when he's jumping all over the place, know what i mean? besides, he's got this thing for taking on the vernacular, for a mix in the voices that just doesn't quite read out on the page. like, he doesn't spell it all out for us. that's the cypher of it.
now here's the trick: will he or won't he? we can all know what happens in the plot - it's practically blared from the headlines. so why read it, then, if not to find out what happens? that's the question. hardy doesn't let us off easy, either - it's almost as if he's asking it of himself, too, like "why tell this when you all know what's coming next?" it's that acknowledgement of that, that nod towards the unknown, that fills in the sentences and draws one from the next.
maybe i'm reading too much into this, but it's like those car crash commercials, you know, the ones with the seat belts: "You can learn a lot from a dummy." so if the bait-and-switch here is with degrees of attention, and not subplot and characters (as it was with Annie Dillard and Jonathan Franzen), then, well, i don't have a corrolary to that analogy. that's the joy of it, i guess, the set up of expectations and then the switch of codes that allowed expectations to emerge in the first place.
much different than Henry James, his contemporary. Hardy reads like Gustav Mahler sounds, Mahler with his symphonies that started with simple motifs of rustic pastoralism before sprawling out into agonizing ecstasies and precisely determined furor, while James resembles more the intricate veneers of smooth-talking seductions and layered facades of intrigue that Richard Strauss suggests in his chamber orchestras and buffonery operas. James reportedly called Hardy "Our good little Thomas," according to a recent Harper's review of a couple Hardy bios. So this of course brings up the issue of class in fin-de-siecle fiction.
We've already started to discuss depictions of servants in what's his name, Proust, and, although there's a lot more that remains to be said/questioned/expunged, a comparison here could set terms. While James doesn't even deign to grant individual characteristics to the servants in "Portrait of a Lady," and Proust relegates them to the role of worshipful attention and benevolent ignorance in superficial dialogue and habitual gestures, Hardy seems invested in demonstrating the risks and rewards of representing a class of people who hadn't yet thought of conceptualizing themselves as a class/group/political body, and now are beginning to struggle to find a template with which to model their interactions with history, their contemporaries, and consequential conditions. This much is evident from the first chapter of "Tess," as playing the role of the country squire don't mean squat when you're drunk and broke. Sorry to bring the 'you' into it, but you know, the paucity of our English language has yet to be permeated. A project of cross-cultural transmissions may depend on recognizing one's limits, and Hardy, at his time, was out there on the edge, tracing the borders of knowable knowledge, and pushing through it to say what 'polite society' couldn't pretend to hear....less
Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
lovers of classic literature
From my blog:
This book was fantastic. It was bleak and heartbreaking, but fantastic. I'm not sure I've ever been so sad for a main character before. But wow, Hardy can write. I'm going to outline the plot, including the ending, so please note that there are SPOILERS AHEAD.
Tess Durbeyfield, a poor girl, finds out she's actually the descendant of the once-mighty D'Urbervilles. She goes in search of work at her relatives' home, and meets Alec D'Urberville (no actual relation -- he stole the...more
From my blog:
This book was fantastic. It was bleak and heartbreaking, but fantastic. I'm not sure I've ever been so sad for a main character before. But wow, Hardy can write. I'm going to outline the plot, including the ending, so please note that there are SPOILERS AHEAD.
Tess Durbeyfield, a poor girl, finds out she's actually the descendant of the once-mighty D'Urbervilles. She goes in search of work at her relatives' home, and meets Alec D'Urberville (no actual relation -- he stole the name), who seduces her and rapes her in the forest. Bastard. Tess leaves the D'Urberville estate to be with her family again, and winds up pregnant. The baby is born but quickly succumbs to death.
Tess, who thinks her rape and death of her child are her own fault, moves away to work at a dairy. There, she meets Angel Clare (a kind man from a good family) and the two fall in love. Tess refuses his requests for an engagement, saying she's not worth him and her past would make him not love her. He pleads with her and tells her it's not the case. Finally, she agrees and the two are wed. That night, they tell each other their deepest, darkest secrets. Angel admits to two drunken nights of debauchery, which Tess forgives him for, and Tess tells him the story about Alec and the child. Angel decides Tess's sins are too great and leaves to Brazil to clear his head. Bastard.
Tess then embarks upon a long journey of trying to pay penance for her sins by doing difficult manual labor. Her letters to Angel go unanswered, but she still blames herself. When she finally hits rock bottom, she goes to appeal to Angel's family for money, although her pride never lets her go through with her plan. On her way home, she meets a street preacher, who is none other than a reformed Alec D'Urberville, although it's pretty apparent that his faith is transparent. Bastard.
Tess tells him that she had had a child and it died, and Alec proceeds to follow her around and asks her to marry him repeatedly, saying he's her true husband because he raped her they had consumated their love. Finally, she gives in because she hasn't heard from Angel (bastard) and her family is in dire straits and is living in a graveyard. Alec supports her and her family.
Angel finally realizes that Tess was not responsible for her sins and decides to come back for her, only to learn she's living with Alec. Tess is so distraught knowing that Angel finally came back for her (she never stopped loving him and blaming herself), that she kills Alec (go Tess!) and she and Angel go on the lam. Tess is finally apprehended at Stonehenge, and is soon put to death.
Yeah. Seriously. That's one depressing story. As a woman who lives in 2007, I had a hard time feeling for Tess when I just wanted to scream, "it's not your fault he raped you! Men (at least in this book) are bastards! You're worth more than them!" But of course this didn't occur to Tess in 1891. It was all her fault and she was paying for her sins. The book was so bleak when it was bleak, and so lovely the few times it was lovely. Hardy's writing was very evocative, and the subject matter was apparently scandalous in his day. His descriptions of England were amazing, too. I listened to the audio book, read by Davina Porter, and it was wonderful. She's a phenomenal reader -- one of the best so far.
My Rating: 9 out of 10 for being so tragically bleak yet so fantastically written. Also, the mini-series starring Justine Waddell is uh-ma-zing, so if you don't feel like reading the book (although I highly recommend it) you can watch the movie instead. ...less
bookshelves:
classic
My mother began reading this novel out loud to me during those long, tedious summer months, and thus began a new tradition. At first, we attempted to make this a family activity, but after the boys started cracking jokes at the descriptive Old English like Tess "bouncing her womanliness", we decided that our boys were not mature enough to appreciate good Victorian literature. However, the feminine members of our family loved this book. Nicole insists that this novel will make a classic...more
My mother began reading this novel out loud to me during those long, tedious summer months, and thus began a new tradition. At first, we attempted to make this a family activity, but after the boys started cracking jokes at the descriptive Old English like Tess "bouncing her womanliness", we decided that our boys were not mature enough to appreciate good Victorian literature. However, the feminine members of our family loved this book. Nicole insists that this novel will make a classic movie. The plot was controversial at the time of its publication because of the rape and the tragic ending, but it has a very modern flare. Therefore, it would make a great movie.
It actually was made into a movie, but not a very good movie. It had no name actors, and was way too long. They could have done a better editing job. For example, there is one chapter that the moviemakers did not do justice to. It was the romantic chapter I had my mother read through twice aloud, this scene where Angel carries the girls over the river, and says to Tess, "Three Leah's for one Rachel." This line was probably one of the most romantic lines of the book, and I was quite disappointed when I found it edited. This sort of reminded my mother of the tragic ending of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. When we finished the book, we were vacationing in a hotel, so when the cleaning lady came into the room with a hysterically-crying mother, she probably assumed that somebody had just died. Oh well, my mother always cries! Nicole fits in nicely! :-)
We liked looking up all those strange old English vocabulary words. Reading this book was like a vocabulary treasure hunt for my mother and me. It is a real bonding time for us to explore our emotional sensitivity. Some say that Hardy was trying to make a point about the lunacy of marriage during that particular period (As if marriage between a rapist and his victim is the only acceptable marriage in the sight of God, especially after a child is created from the affair). But what do you think? Is Thomas Hardy trying to be another Martin Luther, making critical statements in order to cause a religious reformation concerning marriage?
Kelly wrote:
I read Hardy’s most well beloved novel, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, last semester for a British literature class. This novel was a treat to read. I could not put it down! I wrote a term paper on it. The time period and the setting of Hardy’s life played an important part in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It is hard to imagine that Tess of the d'Urbervilles was criticized, but it was indeed. A review in the April 1892 edition of Quarterly Review declared that “Mr. Hardy has told an extremely disagreeable story in an extremely disagreeable manner.” Hardy’s masterpiece, was set between the late Victorian era and the Modern era. His “extremely disagreeable story” was rebuked for its social and moral commentary on the hypocrisy of Victorian ideals and traditions. Hardy criticizes the idea that birthright is an important quality. Men involved in sexual activity before marriage were excused, whereas premarital sexual activity for women was forbidden, no matter what the circumstances.
Along with the many tearful moments of this tragic story of ill-fated love, there are moments of pure romance. One such moment occurs between Tess and Angel while they are washing their hands. As their fingers intertwine, Angel asks, "Which are my fingers and which are yours?" Tess replies, "They are all yours." Awwwwwww! This novel is truly a work of art!
...less
Read in November, 2006
This is mostly just a note for me-- I wrote it as I finished the book, and it definitely gives away the ending, but I wanted to post it here because I decided this would be a good place for me to keep track of my thoughts.
--------------------------
I just finished reading Tess of the D'urbervilles, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Maybe disappointed is not the right word... but it's more than just bummed about the sad parts of the plot. Of course, I am sad about the way the stor...more
This is mostly just a note for me-- I wrote it as I finished the book, and it definitely gives away the ending, but I wanted to post it here because I decided this would be a good place for me to keep track of my thoughts.
--------------------------
I just finished reading Tess of the D'urbervilles, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Maybe disappointed is not the right word... but it's more than just bummed about the sad parts of the plot. Of course, I am sad about the way the story ended, with Tess killing Alec (her rapist/sugardaddy/pseudo husband) and then her getting executed. It's a pretty depressing end...
But there was such a shift, and maybe that was the point. The beauty and love and excitement and novelty of the young lovers Tess and Angel at the dairy is so palpable, so real, but then the utter extinguishing of any hope, joy, optimism at the end... It's shocking, that much more troubling.
The story throughout has certain themes of fatalism and transcendentalism (I think-- with the talk of Tess at times experiencing things not as flesh but as a spirit), but what troubled me was the approach to God. So pessimistic. I think I should have seen where the story was going when Tess and Angel started to discuss the inexistance of God. To me, that moment seems as much a foreshadowing of the despair to come as the poor horse Prince getting run through. I'm trying to make sense of this haunting story in terms of my religious beliefs. I can see now, I can start to reconcile my adoration of this book with its resistance to the faith I hold so dear. I can learn from this book that when God is forgotten or ignored or denied, there is despair. I often have wondered how people without hope in divinity face trouble, and I think Tess and Angel illustrate it well. There is little hope for the two on a grand scale, only in each other do they find grounds for optimism.
What a troubling, haunting tale. I hate that Tess ended up a murderer and died, but I really hate her deterioration. I hate how the beautiful young woman, fresh and full of love and hope becomes so... cold and hard to like. Certainly she is pitiable at the end of the novel, but hardly likable. The passion between her and Angel is real, and I like that, but ... I don't know. It's been marred, wasted. I hate the portrayal of Alec as the "reformed" born-again Christian who then turned back to his old ways.... Interesting though, how religion is respected, not in the sense that it is true, but in the ways that it can promote good morals or behavior. It bothers me.
I know that I always want a happy ending, and I guess part of the reason that I'm disappointed is because this book seemed to promise one. Usually dark books are dark throughout. This one was so cheery and full of the hope of youth and then slowly was drained of life, sot hat by the time I finished the book, I felt like I was burying it. I will say that I like it. It may even be one of my most favorite recent reads. But I am disappointed. It's much like romeo and juliet. Tragedy is so much more tragic when the potential for happiness was close and then missed.
Overall, a good book. A good read. Compelling, thought-provoking, tender. It makes me thankful for my faith. It makes me acknowledge the blessing that hope is. ...less
Read in February, 2008
My "blurb":
A heartbreakingly real portrait of human reactions
An essay I wrote for English- It's not that great and pretty short.
Thomas Hardy’s novel, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, is a tale of human nature. The story explores the manner in which people respond to trials. It revolves around the life of Tess Durbeyfield, an uncommonly pretty crofter’s daughter. When she is sixteen, Tess goes to work for her supposed relative to earn money for her family. While she is liv...more
My "blurb":
A heartbreakingly real portrait of human reactions
An essay I wrote for English- It's not that great and pretty short.
Thomas Hardy’s novel, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, is a tale of human nature. The story explores the manner in which people respond to trials. It revolves around the life of Tess Durbeyfield, an uncommonly pretty crofter’s daughter. When she is sixteen, Tess goes to work for her supposed relative to earn money for her family. While she is living there her “cousin”, Alec Stoke-d’Urberville, takes advantage of her- an act that tremendously influences the remainder of both their lives. Believing herself to be tainted and unworthy, Tess vows to never marry and returns home to give birth to her son, Sorrow, who dies in infancy. Following the death of Sorrow, Tess goes to work at a dairy farm where she meets and falls in love with Angel Clare, the heretic son of a clergyman. Angel professes to love Tess as well and begs her to marry him. Tess eventually consents, despite her vow, after Angel’s repeated assurances of the constancy of his affection. On their wedding night, Angel admits to having an affair while he lived in London. Tess then confesses her history with Alec. Tess readily forgives Angel for his indiscretion, but Angel is not so magnanimous. Appalled by her revelation, Angel accuses Tess of deceiving him and says he cannot bear to live with her. Shortly after this, he gives Tess some money and departs for Brazil.
Both Alec and Angel desire Tess for her physical beauty and appearance rather than her nobleness of character. Alec wanted to own her, and Angel wanted her only to fill the role of his wife as he thought she ought to be. Lust is cruel. It thinks wholly of the body and nothing of its lasting effects on the soul attached to it. Alec’s lust is completely selfish. His faith in God is not greatly different. It, too, is intense and fleeting, vanishing as soon as it fails to make him feel the way he wants. Alec treated Tess abominably, using her with no regard for the consequences of his actions, but he did not know the extent of his damage. He was thoughtless, not deliberately cruel. Angel professed to love Tess, but he never really knew her. He was in love with the illusion of Tess he created, a love that he recanted the moment he saw she was not the goddess of purity and beauty he had believed her to be. Unlike Tess’s love for him, Angel’s love was indeed fragile and when tested wore out immediately.
...less
So beautifully and dramatically tragic--I don't know the teenage girl who could resist it.
Quote: For a moment--only for a moment--when they were in the turning of the drive, between the tall rhododendrons and conifers, before the lodge became visible, he inclined his face towards her as if--but, no: he thought better of it, and let her go.
Thus the thing began. Had she perceived this meeting's import she might have asked why she was doomed to be seen and coveted that day by the wrong man...more
So beautifully and dramatically tragic--I don't know the teenage girl who could resist it.
Quote: For a moment--only for a moment--when they were in the turning of the drive, between the tall rhododendrons and conifers, before the lodge became visible, he inclined his face towards her as if--but, no: he thought better of it, and let her go.
Thus the thing began. Had she perceived this meeting's import she might have asked why she was doomed to be seen and coveted that day by the wrong man, and not by some other man, the right and desired one in all respects--as nearly as humanity can supply the right and desired; yet to him who amongst her acquaintance might have approximated to this kind, she was but a transient impression, half forgotten.
In the ill-judged execution of the well-judged plan of things the call seldom produces the comer, the man to love rarely coincides with the hour for loving. Nature does not often say "See!" to her poor creature at a time when seeing can lead to happy doing; or reply "Here!" to a body's cry of "Where?" till the hide-and-seek has become an irksome, outworn game. We may wonder whether at the acme and summit of the human progress these anachronisms will be corrected by a finer intuition, a close interaction of the social machinery than that which now jolts us round and along; but such completeness is not to be prophesied, or even conceived as possible. Enough that in the present case, as in millions, it was not the two halves of a perfect whole that confronted each other at the perfect moment; a missing counterpart wandered independently about the earth waiting in crass obtuseness till the late time came. Out of which maladroit delay sprang anxieties,disappointments, shocks, catastrophes, and passing-strange destinies.
...less
Read in April, 2007
recommended to Jenn by:
Shelly Burr
Title: Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Author: Thomas Hardy
Genre: Classic/Romance/Tragedy
Pages: 592
Rating (out of 5 stars): *** 1/2
Reviewed by: Jenn
Description: Tess, a girl who grows into a woman through the course of the novel, is a victim of her society and circumstances. After she is taken advantage of by Alec d'Urberville, her life is changed forever. Her rustic and crude parents don't do anything to help her case, and in the 18th century, a woman in her position doesn't stand a...more
Title: Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Author: Thomas Hardy
Genre: Classic/Romance/Tragedy
Pages: 592
Rating (out of 5 stars): *** 1/2
Reviewed by: Jenn
Description: Tess, a girl who grows into a woman through the course of the novel, is a victim of her society and circumstances. After she is taken advantage of by Alec d'Urberville, her life is changed forever. Her rustic and crude parents don't do anything to help her case, and in the 18th century, a woman in her position doesn't stand a chance at having the life she dreams of. Still, Tess is uncommonly pretty, and when she falls in love with Angel Clare, things look promising. Can there be hope for a woman so feebly taken in sin? (I'm leaving this ambiguous, but if you're an idealist, don't forget to notice the genre above).
Thoughts: This novel is considered by some to be one of the greatest works of English literature. Hardy definitely knows what he's doing. He tells a compelling story that couldn't be a more perfect tragedy, complete with symbolism, allusions to all sorts of important texts, irony, and passion. I feel like his writing feels like a combination between Jane Austen and Dickens (although the subject matter is quite different). It is enjoyable and smooth reading, and it really makes the reader question what 18th century England could do to a poor girl, all without having any idea that they were doing anything unjust.
Disclaimer: None.
Notes: I listened to the audio version of this book read by Davina Porter, which I would recommend.
...less
bookshelves:
classic
recommends it for:
Everyone!
I read Hardy’s most well beloved novel, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, for a British literature class. This novel was a treat to read. I could not put it down! I wrote a term paper on it. The time period and the setting of Hardy’s life played an important part in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It is hard to imagine that Tess of the d'Urbervilles was criticized, but it was indeed. A review in the April 1892 edition of Quarterly Review declared that “Mr. Hardy has told an extremely disagreeable stor...more
I read Hardy’s most well beloved novel, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, for a British literature class. This novel was a treat to read. I could not put it down! I wrote a term paper on it. The time period and the setting of Hardy’s life played an important part in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It is hard to imagine that Tess of the d'Urbervilles was criticized, but it was indeed. A review in the April 1892 edition of Quarterly Review declared that “Mr. Hardy has told an extremely disagreeable story in an extremely disagreeable manner.” Hardy’s masterpiece, was set between the late Victorian era and the Modern era. His “extremely disagreeable story” was rebuked for its social and moral commentary on the hypocrisy of Victorian ideals and traditions. Hardy criticizes the idea that birthright is an important quality. Men involved in sexual activity before marriage were excused, whereas premarital sexual activity for women was forbidden, no matter what the circumstances.
Along with the many tearful moments of this tragic story of ill-fated love, there are moments of pure romance. One such moment occurs between Tess and Angel while they are washing their hands. As their fingers intertwine, Angel asks, "Which are my fingers and which are yours?" Tess replies, "They are all yours." Awwwwwww! This novel is truly a work of art!
...less
Read in March, 2008
If you want to know more about 19th century British farming practices and the life of the poor laborers who enacted them, then this is the novel for you. Thomas Hardy is a great writer and I did find this book enjoyable. It is just so extremely Victorian. In addition to the plight of the farmhands, a deep examination of Christianity and morality, and detailed descriptions of the weather in every single scene, a main theme of the book is virginity. Obviously this novel dates from the days befo...more
If you want to know more about 19th century British farming practices and the life of the poor laborers who enacted them, then this is the novel for you. Thomas Hardy is a great writer and I did find this book enjoyable. It is just so extremely Victorian. In addition to the plight of the farmhands, a deep examination of Christianity and morality, and detailed descriptions of the weather in every single scene, a main theme of the book is virginity. Obviously this novel dates from the days before humans had movies or the internet to entertain them; a time, in short, when some people had attention spans and would have been happy to read a book which dragged on like the television soaps of today. But then Jane Austen’s novels are from some fifty years before “Tess Of The D’Urbervilles,” and she didn’t go on and on and on about geography and the seasons and cow-milking. I far enjoyed Hardy’s “Return of the Native” and “The Mayor of Casterbridge.” I thought those novels had more dynamic plots and more characters, yet were more concise. I found “Tess Of The D’Urbervilles” to be a satisfying read, but I’m glad to be finished with it. ...less
Read in September, 2007
Ugh. This book gave me a really rough time. It tells the story of Tess Durbeyfield, a poor English farmhand, starting near the end of her childhood. The beginning was pleasant enough, and had lots of tidbits about country life in England back in the day. I really enjoyed Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, which had a similar style and feel. But, as hard as I tried to be culturally relative, I simply could not accept a particular plot element, and people's reactions after it (I'm trying not...more
Ugh. This book gave me a really rough time. It tells the story of Tess Durbeyfield, a poor English farmhand, starting near the end of her childhood. The beginning was pleasant enough, and had lots of tidbits about country life in England back in the day. I really enjoyed Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, which had a similar style and feel. But, as hard as I tried to be culturally relative, I simply could not accept a particular plot element, and people's reactions after it (I'm trying not to reveal anything for people who haven't read it). Additionally, the blatant foreshadowing about future events and the constant sense of inevitability prevented me from having the various ups and downs Hardy seemed to be trying to instill - I was just consistently depressed every time I picked up the book.
Also, a comment on the Oxford University Press edition - one of the 'explanatory notes' in the first half of the book actually tells you how the book ends! I just cannot believe someone let that through!...less
Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
patient people
I first read this in high school and really didn't like Hardy as a writer or the plotline. I must say that in the several rereads since, it improved (or maybe I did). It asks some interesting philosophical questions about purity and innocence. It has a fairly dark plotline and becomes increasingly sad. It is a victim of its time with regards to the treatment of women. The last image of the sister of Tess walking away with the man Tess loved, assuming that they will now marry, was incredibly...more
I first read this in high school and really didn't like Hardy as a writer or the plotline. I must say that in the several rereads since, it improved (or maybe I did). It asks some interesting philosophical questions about purity and innocence. It has a fairly dark plotline and becomes increasingly sad. It is a victim of its time with regards to the treatment of women. The last image of the sister of Tess walking away with the man Tess loved, assuming that they will now marry, was incredibly disturbing when I was younger, the thought of replaceable love. That one is as good as another, as long as the basics are present is more pragmatic than I would like to believe love is, but as I grow older/wiser?/realistic/sad It really does fit with the time and characters. It is more of an academic read than one that is easy to pick up again after you put it down, more likely you will have to force yourself to finish it. But I love the language and phrases and it is a surprise ending....less
bookshelves:
currently-reading
I was reluctant to read this book until a friend (whose taste I admire) told me it was here favorite. Now I find myself jotting down passages and dog-earing nearly every other page. What I enjoy most are observations from the narrator on nature, timing, societal and individual prejudice like this one:
"in the ill-judged execution of the well-judged plan of things the call seldom produces the comer, the man to love rarely coincides with the hour for loving. Nature doesn’t often say ...more
I was reluctant to read this book until a friend (whose taste I admire) told me it was here favorite. Now I find myself jotting down passages and dog-earing nearly every other page. What I enjoy most are observations from the narrator on nature, timing, societal and individual prejudice like this one:
"in the ill-judged execution of the well-judged plan of things the call seldom produces the comer, the man to love rarely coincides with the hour for loving. Nature doesn’t often say ‘See!’ to her poor creature at a time when seeing can lead to happy doing; or reply ‘Here!’ to a body’s cry of ‘Where?’ till the hide-and-seek has become an irksome, outworn game.” (phase the first, chapter 5)
Hardy's prose is lovely, astute, and heartbreaking. So it can be cheezy at times, but I find myself constantly thinking "yes! this is how things are!" Perhaps I'm just reading at a time when I'm particularly sympathetic to the trials of a doomed love affair......less
bookshelves:
the-fainting-couch
when i read this i had to keep reminding myself to not read it from an american woman's perspective. otherwise it is quite infuriating and you'll want to slap the poor tragic dingaling into her senses more than once for trusting anyone she meets and not taking better care of herself. but if you can let your mind go back to the way things might have been (and still are in some places) before most women could vote or own land or enjoy sex or rise above the class they were born in, or be educated, ...more
when i read this i had to keep reminding myself to not read it from an american woman's perspective. otherwise it is quite infuriating and you'll want to slap the poor tragic dingaling into her senses more than once for trusting anyone she meets and not taking better care of herself. but if you can let your mind go back to the way things might have been (and still are in some places) before most women could vote or own land or enjoy sex or rise above the class they were born in, or be educated, or defend themselves in any way, and try to be in her head while you read it, then you get a glimpse of the simple determination she has. no matter what life throws at her, takes away from her, literally rapes her of, she keeps going. she does not seek revenge or lash out, or blame anyone else for her problems - she most certainly does not whine about her troubles on 'the view'. she gets up and dusts herself off and goes on. not everyone gets the fairy tale happy ending....less
bookshelves:
classic
Read in January, 2004
A few people noted that Hardy is a bit of a hard read, and that turned out to be true. His style is jagged and choppy, bouncing around quite a bit, and never giving you a true glimpse of some scenes important to know how to interpret (such as the question of Tess' seduction or rape by Alec d'Urberville). However, overall, it is an interesting story at least and I enjoyed the book. But considering the ending seemed to be rather ill-fitting to the rest of the tale, I'll have to pass on giving it a...more
A few people noted that Hardy is a bit of a hard read, and that turned out to be true. His style is jagged and choppy, bouncing around quite a bit, and never giving you a true glimpse of some scenes important to know how to interpret (such as the question of Tess' seduction or rape by Alec d'Urberville). However, overall, it is an interesting story at least and I enjoyed the book. But considering the ending seemed to be rather ill-fitting to the rest of the tale, I'll have to pass on giving it a high rating. It was rather disappointing to slog through his odd phrasings and quirks, only to be let down at the end by the characters just magically changing personality traits. I think Tess was a weakling without a mind of her own for the most part, Angel was worthless, and the character with the most potential in the story is the so-called villain, Alec d'Urberville....less
Read in November, 2007
From my Year in Reading 2007 post on www.themillionsblog.com:
Tess of the D'Urbervilles should not be read in high school. From my unscientific poll, I've learned that anyone who tried this book as a teenager found it unbearably boring. Thankfully, I read this novel as an adult (or, okay, as a twenty-six year old), and loved the story of Tess, a "pure woman" as the original subtitle asserts. It was not only deliciously tragic, it was also readable - I devoured this in less than a we...more
From my Year in Reading 2007 post on www.themillionsblog.com:
Tess of the D'Urbervilles should not be read in high school. From my unscientific poll, I've learned that anyone who tried this book as a teenager found it unbearably boring. Thankfully, I read this novel as an adult (or, okay, as a twenty-six year old), and loved the story of Tess, a "pure woman" as the original subtitle asserts. It was not only deliciously tragic, it was also readable - I devoured this in less than a week, and mourned its end for twice that long. The narrator's unrelenting compassion for Tess, his assertion that she is pure and moral, despite her society's view of her as a "fallen woman," felt quite bold, and the descriptions of nature, "...the seasons in their moods, mornings and evenings, night and noon, winds in their different tempers, waters and mists, shades and silences, and the voices of inanimate things," made me want to go milk some cows in the English countryside. ...less
Read in July, 2006
This book is a classic, but it just ends so darn badly that it’s hard not to feel angry at Hardy.
It is a poetic novel, a true tragedy and if you haven’t read it, be warned. Hardy makes Tess so likable, so emotive that you can’t be help feel for her. And then he destroys her, utterly.
Much ink has been spilled discussing this novel about the relative moral strengths of the three main characters, Tess, Alex and Angel. Tons of discussion of class problems, and acceptance, and how H...more
This book is a classic, but it just ends so darn badly that it’s hard not to feel angry at Hardy.
It is a poetic novel, a true tragedy and if you haven’t read it, be warned. Hardy makes Tess so likable, so emotive that you can’t be help feel for her. And then he destroys her, utterly.
Much ink has been spilled discussing this novel about the relative moral strengths of the three main characters, Tess, Alex and Angel. Tons of discussion of class problems, and acceptance, and how Hardy wrote in support of the working man while condemning the aristocratic nonsense of the time. But it affected me more deeply than I was expecting, so I won’t try to analyze any further.
It’s horrible a story. It’s luminescent. It’s relentless in the way the heroine is destroyed by fate, despite all she can do to stop it. At the heart, it’s a poem, powerful and moving. It’s a novel that will haunt me for a long time. I think it’s a must read.
...less
bookshelves:
brit-lit,
fiction
Read in April, 2006
recommends it for:
brit lit dorks, fans of Romantics, feminists
I resisted reading this book for a very long time. I have no idea why I did. I had no idea what it was about. Then I got into a 19th Century lit class, and we read it. I really responded to this book.
It's quite depressing, I must give that as a warning. It can be melodramatic when he gets a little fanciful, but that's a typical Romantic trait, and I don't think that's necessarily a fault. The book deals with some very serious issues of the time period (and now, in some cases) and I think it...more
I resisted reading this book for a very long time. I have no idea why I did. I had no idea what it was about. Then I got into a 19th Century lit class, and we read it. I really responded to this book.
It's quite depressing, I must give that as a warning. It can be melodramatic when he gets a little fanciful, but that's a typical Romantic trait, and I don't think that's necessarily a fault. The book deals with some very serious issues of the time period (and now, in some cases) and I think it lends it an everpresent shadow that sets the tone just right. This is tragedy in high fashion. You may want to shake some of the characters if that sort of thing annoys you. But if it does, I'd say don't read this in the first place.
I did not like Jude the Obscure, and I really had no interest in reading more Hardy until we read this. After Tess, I think I'll be picking up something else at some point....less
bookshelves:
humanity
Read in February, 2008
This is the first of the big ten English novels I'll read this year. As far as 19th century novels go, I liked it, and could imagine Victorian ladies huffing and puffing as they read the thinly veiled sexual references to love and romance. A few of the scenes - Tess and Angel in the abandoned house, then later in the stone ring of stonehenge - were powerful indeed. Hardy's description of farm labor and hardship among rural folk was convincing and gritty, without feeling heavy-handed. Althou...more
This is the first of the big ten English novels I'll read this year. As far as 19th century novels go, I liked it, and could imagine Victorian ladies huffing and puffing as they read the thinly veiled sexual references to love and romance. A few of the scenes - Tess and Angel in the abandoned house, then later in the stone ring of stonehenge - were powerful indeed. Hardy's description of farm labor and hardship among rural folk was convincing and gritty, without feeling heavy-handed. Although Tess was a special character for Hardy (he claimed to see her as a real person even years later), I found her a little difficult to know well. Her saccharine sweetness was a little too much for me, although in the context of the novel, I could see Hardy's logic. All in all, a great book, if a little overrated (just a little) and sad....less
bookshelves:
crap,
literature
Read in January, 1996
*** Warning: Spoilers ***
I wish to go on record that I was forced by the public school system to read this book. It is pure awful-ness (is that a word?) given form, and I wish I never had read it.
It chronicles the life of a woman who gets taken advantage of. A lot. She develops issues (getting raped will do that to a person) . She's a good person who is slowly convinced that she is not worthy of happiness and has a rather bad time of things. When she finally stands up for herself to take...more
*** Warning: Spoilers ***
I wish to go on record that I was forced by the public school system to read this book. It is pure awful-ness (is that a word?) given form, and I wish I never had read it.
It chronicles the life of a woman who gets taken advantage of. A lot. She develops issues (getting raped will do that to a person) . She's a good person who is slowly convinced that she is not worthy of happiness and has a rather bad time of things. When she finally stands up for herself to take vengeance on her rapist, she is unmercifully hung for the crime (her 'victim' greatly deserved what he got, which is to say a knife embedded in him).
It's a story about good people getting what they have coming to them - good and hard.
Screw Thomas Hardy. This book sucks....less
bookshelves:
read-in-2007
Read in April, 2007
I read The Native Returns when I was in high school and hated it. I have been anti-Hardy ever since, except for his poetry, which I enjoy. Carmen from my critique group recommended Tess so I decided to give Hardy another try.
Thomas Hardy, I apologize for defaming you.
This is a great book. I loved the story and the way it was told. There were some descriptive passages so ...more
I read The Native Returns when I was in high school and hated it. I have been anti-Hardy ever since, except for his poetry, which I enjoy. Carmen from my critique group recommended Tess so I decided to give Hardy another try.
Thomas Hardy, I apologize for defaming you.
This is a great book. I loved the story and the way it was told. There were some descriptive passages so beautiful that I had to read them once, then slow down and go back and reread them again. When Angel falls in love with Tess, Hardy describes this beautiful, pastoral scene, with Tess milking a cow and resting her face against its side as she works. Many more like this. Overall the book has an old-fashioned feel but some of it felt strangely modern. Great, tragic love story....less
book data (includes all editions)
avg rating
(all editions):
3.67 (5634 ratings)
avg rating
(this edition): 3.67
(4640 ratings)
number of reviews: 491
other editions
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Tess Of The Durbervilles (Enriched Classics)
isbn: 067101546X
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Tess of the Durbervilles (Unknown Binding)
isbn: 1853268380
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Oxford World's Classics)
isbn: 019284069X
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