Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Moving classic with amazing character development and insight into a woman's struggles
Mild spoilers coming.
Well, for one I liked the book. The beginning is compelling enough to continue with (or I'd have not revisited it from my college years). The middle is a touch slow and uneventful for my liking. The end is like the vivace, or, perhaps more apropriately (given that Hardy claims that God's "sport" had ended), scherzo of a symphony. I liked it, but it didn't stand out as an amazing work, so three stars from me.
Hardy's writing is fine overall. He never really writes badly, or poorly, so much as pedestrianly. But other times he can wax poetic and lyrical (e.g.: From chapter 47, "A little way off... and him" and Ch. 48, "The rat... to the ground"). I like his use of folklore, mythology, and superstition as a means of framing the story and pushing it further.
Strangely, I had come to almost belive that Alec was not quite as bad as he had been. Intentional? I'm not sure.
I hated Angel.
I liked Tess, felt bad for her, and thought she deserved better. She came across as a martyr for the Wronged Woman.
All in all, a good book, I'll revisit Hardy.
Well, for one I liked the book. The beginning is compelling enough to continue with (or I'd have not revisited it from my college years). The middle is a touch slow and uneventful for my liking. The end is like the vivace, or, perhaps more apropriately (given that Hardy claims that God's "sport" had ended), scherzo of a symphony. I liked it, but it didn't stand out as an amazing work, so three stars from me.
Hardy's writing is fine overall. He never really writes badly, or poorly, so much as pedestrianly. But other times he can wax poetic and lyrical (e.g.: From chapter 47, "A little way off... and him" and Ch. 48, "The rat... to the ground"). I like his use of folklore, mythology, and superstition as a means of framing the story and pushing it further.
Strangely, I had come to almost belive that Alec was not quite as bad as he had been. Intentional? I'm not sure.
I hated Angel.
I liked Tess, felt bad for her, and thought she deserved better. She came across as a martyr for the Wronged Woman.
All in all, a good book, I'll revisit Hardy.
Beautifully written sentimental nonsense. I acknowledge that it's aware of its own sentimentality - the Coquette is referenced, albeit obliquely - and I also appreciated Tess' surprise behavior at the end. However, the middle portion should be called Angel Clare, as Tess becomes a secondary character. Or, even closer to the mark, it could be called Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale," with Angel as the monstrous Walter and Tess the grotesquely robotic Griselda. It's also improbable. Characters keep turning up by chance as if there are only 10 humans in all of Wessex. The prose is superb but the story is not.
An empathetic portrayal of a woman who, per social mores at the time, could do no right. The story is plenty dramatic, but the little details/moments affected me the most: the christening of Sorrow, the description of milking all day in the rain, the insatiable steam thresher, the black flag.
Wow. What a book. This took me a bit longer to read as I was also reading the end notes that provided the variations and background from all the different versions Hardy produced. In the back of my mind, I was prepared to have an enjoyable and emotional ride with Tess and her love affairs, and to be given the somewhat let-down ending where everything is neatly sorted out and tied with a ribbon to provide closure to the reader. I was surprised to finish this book and feel forlorn; not having that ending I typically have a certain amount of contempt for was in itself a surprise. I am grateful for that. It would have detracted from Hardy's work and Tess' struggle. It's almost as if I'm left with a fraction of the feeling Angel experienced. What a gift it is to read a book that makes me feel something significant. 100% recommend this.
Depressing
Interesting commentary on the patriarchal society of England and women's roles
Interesting commentary on the patriarchal society of England and women's roles
4,8
One of my new favorite books, the only issue I have is that the last big plot point felt a bit lazy to me, although it does fit with the theme of the story, namely, the development of a pure country girl to a woman who has, to say the least, gotten an intense reality check:
'Almost at a leap Tess thus changed from simple girl to complex woman. Symbols of reflectiveness passed into her face, and a note of tragedy at times into her voice. Her eyes grew larger and more eloquent. She became what would have been called a fine creature; her aspect was fair and arresting; her soul that of a woman whom the turbulent experiences of the last year or two had quite failed to demoralize.'
With beautiful prose such as in the quote above Hardy paints the picture of an English rural, read: "poor", area of England where nobility, Christianity and sexism still were the order of the day (yay...). The fact that the sexual inequality, not only in material ways such as being financially indepent, but more the cultural -intellectual- inequality was not only seen, but also deemed important enough, for a MAN to write such a beautiful, forgiving and empathetic book about, is AMAZING and I give Hardy props and lots of love for it. His understanding of the issue is not perfect, understandably, but the fact he came up with quotes such as these:
'"Why didn’t you tell me there was danger? Why didn’t you warn me? Ladies know what to guard against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks; but I never had the chance of discovering in that way; and you did not help me!"'
that are highlighting the dangers of naïvety and ignorance, but also illustrating (whether on purpose or not) the responsibility women were supposed to take for their own safety, by knowing the things that were sinful to know about, is just so cool. Loveddd this theme throughout the entire text.
Besides this, the book has an endearing main character, beautiful symbolisms (can we talk about Angel (name, duh) playing the harp and Alec emerging from a cloud of smoke with a pitchfork???), an intriguing, fast-paced plot and just the best little philosophical quotes sprinkled throughout:
'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."'
I just adore her for all her summer, depressing, time-machine, make-me-believe-im-frolicking-through-a-field-200-years-ago vibes
One of my new favorite books, the only issue I have is that the last big plot point felt a bit lazy to me, although it does fit with the theme of the story, namely, the development of a pure country girl to a woman who has, to say the least, gotten an intense reality check:
'Almost at a leap Tess thus changed from simple girl to complex woman. Symbols of reflectiveness passed into her face, and a note of tragedy at times into her voice. Her eyes grew larger and more eloquent. She became what would have been called a fine creature; her aspect was fair and arresting; her soul that of a woman whom the turbulent experiences of the last year or two had quite failed to demoralize.'
With beautiful prose such as in the quote above Hardy paints the picture of an English rural, read: "poor", area of England where nobility, Christianity and sexism still were the order of the day (yay...). The fact that the sexual inequality, not only in material ways such as being financially indepent, but more the cultural -intellectual- inequality was not only seen, but also deemed important enough, for a MAN to write such a beautiful, forgiving and empathetic book about, is AMAZING and I give Hardy props and lots of love for it. His understanding of the issue is not perfect, understandably, but the fact he came up with quotes such as these:
'"Why didn’t you tell me there was danger? Why didn’t you warn me? Ladies know what to guard against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks; but I never had the chance of discovering in that way; and you did not help me!"'
that are highlighting the dangers of naïvety and ignorance, but also illustrating (whether on purpose or not) the responsibility women were supposed to take for their own safety, by knowing the things that were sinful to know about, is just so cool. Loveddd this theme throughout the entire text.
Besides this, the book has an endearing main character, beautiful symbolisms (can we talk about Angel (name, duh) playing the harp and Alec emerging from a cloud of smoke with a pitchfork???), an intriguing, fast-paced plot and just the best little philosophical quotes sprinkled throughout:
'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."'
I just adore her for all her summer, depressing, time-machine, make-me-believe-im-frolicking-through-a-field-200-years-ago vibes
God what an overly depressing book. The way it ended was just WAY to, almost, and upbeat way. Seriously? There were many times when I was reading that book that I couldn't help but go "What the hell is going on here?" For the plot and mostly because I had no idea what the hell was going on. It seemed like Hardy would go too much into the details and discriptions and not spend that much time on the actual plot in the book. I got confused a bit to much for my liking but I still stuck it out to the end. I really don't like the ending of this book, Tess would've been justified for her actions yet she dies. And her husband runs off with her little sister before she's even dead? I mean she gave her wish and all about him looking after her but jesus wait until she's cold a little.
I wasn't that big of a fan of Hardy's style in the book. It seemed that he spent a bit to much on the land and actions or reactions than the actual plot in the book which at times caused me to get confused and even bored with what was going on.
I wasn't that big of a fan of Hardy's style in the book. It seemed that he spent a bit to much on the land and actions or reactions than the actual plot in the book which at times caused me to get confused and even bored with what was going on.
challenging
dark
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