Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I quite liked this book, I love the era and Hardy's style. The story of Tess is touching and engaging.
I started reading this in France and then, like Jude the Obscure which I also had trouble finishing because it was so sad, this one was also super sad and so I put off reading what turned out to be the last, like, 10 pages.
On the bright side I own a copy of this book from Shakespeare & Company in Paris so...p nice.
On the bright side I own a copy of this book from Shakespeare & Company in Paris so...p nice.
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got really into this, then I didn't, then I did again.
It's obviously a classic, like obviously.
Hardy puts so much in there: a sense of place, a record of how people lived, tension, (melo)drama, arguments against inequality, examinations of poverty, questioning Christian notions and their actuality. It's absolutely stuffed with ideas.
But it's also a book of it's time. Each character is often little more than a cipher to illustrate an idea. There is a lecturing didacticism. The prose is often dense and turgid, twisting into unclarity. And the story arc is entirely of its time - nothing happens for extended periods and then in the final pages it all goes haywire.
But, all that said, you do finish with a feeling that you haven't so much completed a book as left a world.
It's obviously a classic, like obviously.
Hardy puts so much in there: a sense of place, a record of how people lived, tension, (melo)drama, arguments against inequality, examinations of poverty, questioning Christian notions and their actuality. It's absolutely stuffed with ideas.
But it's also a book of it's time. Each character is often little more than a cipher to illustrate an idea. There is a lecturing didacticism. The prose is often dense and turgid, twisting into unclarity. And the story arc is entirely of its time - nothing happens for extended periods and then in the final pages it all goes haywire.
But, all that said, you do finish with a feeling that you haven't so much completed a book as left a world.
I love some of Hardy's writing style. The way he describes landscapes, buildings, people, etc. makes you see evertyhing play out in front of you. It jumps off the page. You feel what the main characters feel and see the world as they see it. The study into the choices people make, morals and society is interesting to read about. The plot has good pacing and you keep wanting to find out what happens next (though the back cover spoiled the major plot points for me already:( ).
Some downsides though.. English is my second language and this book made that very apparent for me. It has been over a decade since I have come across words I have never heard of, but this book broke the streak. At some parts it was too difficult for me, and that took me out of the story.
I also didn't care for the philosophical ramblings Hardy makes in this book. They were too abstract for me.
Last of all, the story is a little too dated for me. Reading it now, I was incredibly frustrated with the characters' inability to be honest and frank with eachother. I appreciate that this story is already a lot more 'real' than other books from that period, but I couldn't understand any of the choices Tess, Alec and Angel make.
Weighing the good and bad, I came up to 3 stars. I enjoyed reading this book.
Some downsides though.. English is my second language and this book made that very apparent for me. It has been over a decade since I have come across words I have never heard of, but this book broke the streak. At some parts it was too difficult for me, and that took me out of the story.
I also didn't care for the philosophical ramblings Hardy makes in this book. They were too abstract for me.
Last of all, the story is a little too dated for me. Reading it now, I was incredibly frustrated with the characters' inability to be honest and frank with eachother. I appreciate that this story is already a lot more 'real' than other books from that period, but I couldn't understand any of the choices Tess, Alec and Angel make.
Weighing the good and bad, I came up to 3 stars. I enjoyed reading this book.
Una prosa hermosa, me recuerda porque amo los clásicos , aunque la mayoría del tiempo me la pase enojada con Tess por ser tan dócil y "honesta". Con un final que no se merecía.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced