Reviews

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

melguld's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

paigeworrall's review against another edition

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4.0

My first impression of this book was that it would be one of those stereotypically over dramatic text that would bore me to death. I was wrong. It is a beautifully written and emotionally charged novel which follows the life of Tess, a poor farm girl who is caught up in her parents plot to make them wealthy. Unfortunately things don’t go to plan and Tess finds herself questioning the justness of the society she lives in. At times it does seem a bit long winded and at points I did find myself struggling through parts of the book. However the plot is full of many twists and turns and Hardy provokes the reader to think about many themes in the book such as the sexism that Tess faced and how this manipulated her decisions in the novel. It is very insightful into the time in which Hardy lives and many readers will find it fascinating.

orlafaherty's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

r0sem4rie's review against another edition

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3.0

”But where was Tess’s guardian angle?” is one of the saddest quotes I’ve ever read.

A tragically beautiful book. Thomas Hardy’s prose is so poetic and so effective in its critique of Victorian society and their stupid double standards and criminalisation and rejection of “impure women”. Tess deserved so much more.

“Did you say the stars were worlds, Tess?"
"Yes."
"All like ours?"
"I don't know, but I think so. They sometimes seem to be like the apples on our stubbard-tree. Most of them splendid and sound - a few blighted."
"Which do we live on - a splendid one or a blighted one?"
"A blighted one.”

”The only exercise that Tess took at this time was after dark; and it was then, when out in the woods, that she seemed least solitary.”

eatingfiction's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

jacket7227's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

emeraldgarnet's review

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3.0

Hardy gives a good balance of action, speech and description.

Especially towards the end of the novel the plot felt contrived with too many 'helpful' coincidences. These coincidences unfortunately took away some of the impact of the novel's infamous ending for me.

The novel is mostly free from discriminatory language (with 'gispy's crock' in chapter 16 being a notable exception) but it still accurately reflects the prejudices of the time.

Nonetheless, Tess of the d'Urbervilles stands up well against time and shows a world now long gone that was already disappearing when Hardy wrote the novel.

novellenovels's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

grvhppr's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

howtoreadmore's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0