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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I loved this novel. It’s a wonderful story of a country girl and the men who are attracted to her. It’s impressive that a Victorian male author presents this feminist perspective. Beyond the story there are beautiful poetic descriptions of the rural landscapes.
"And it was that touch of the imperfect upon the would-be perfect that gave the sweetness, because it was that which gave the humanity."
Before picking this up, I assumed it was a classic love triangle, including all the angst and sexual tension that usually accompanies such romantic shapes. But it actually goes much deeper.
Tess's case is an incredibly sad one:
Spoiler
raped (though Hardy never uses the phrase expressly) by a man she doesn't love and coldly turned away by the one she does upon the discovery of her "impurity." Tess's "defect" is not even remotely her fault, yet the society in which she lives would scorn her for it if they knew. Her own husband who claims to love and cherish her scorns her for it. Alec D'Urberville is never prosecuted or even reported for his actions; he is a wealthy landowner and Tess is a poor milkmaid whose word does not count against his.Despite nearly one hundred thirty years since its publication, Tess's case sounds eerily similar to that of many women in modern society. While the social stigmas may not be so extreme, the same framework still exists.
And despite my early love for Angel, his
Spoiler
hypocrisy disgusted me. Moments before Tess reveals her secrets, he admits to "eight-and-forty hours' dissipation with a stranger." Tess of course forgives him, but when she admits to her own impurity, which, to reiterate, was completely against her will, he immediately despises her and abandons her for a year to go live in Brazil.But the ending, despite its sobriety, was incredibly suspenseful and definitely a welcome turn of events, even with
Spoiler
Tess's capture and presumed execution.Spoiler
I really did love Hardy's writing and the immense detail he used to shape his characters. I'll definitely be seeking more of his other works in the future.
Sad to say that I did not finish this book. I read about 100 pages and just had to stop. I was so excited to read a "classic" but this made me remember why I don't read classics: they're mostly overrated.
DNF unfortunately this book was not to my liking and I just couldn’t finish it. I found it blah. Some portions of the story were written with vibrant imagery but in places it just lacked vision.
I might tackle it again when I’m in my 80s and see if it improves with age or dementia.
I might tackle it again when I’m in my 80s and see if it improves with age or dementia.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I tried for weeks to get into this one. In the end I could not. Skimmed to the end
This book is fantastic. I expected to be annoyed at how VERY VERY IMPORTANT Hardy felt it was to be a virgin, but it’s actually thought-provoking, well-written, and poetic. It was also just like reading a book for college in that it’s sort of … hard.
That I am not a true fan of Hardy. I do not think that the characters in this book were thought through completely and are unrealistic. Hardy I believe missed his calling on writing journals on travels as the only redeeming parts of the books are his ability to describe the landscape and all of its attributes in complete description that you can believe that you have been there to see the sights.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Beautifully written.