Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.45k reviews for:
Tessa d'Urberville: Historia kobiety czystej
Róża Czekańska-Heymanowa, Thomas Hardy
3.67 AVERAGE
3.45k reviews for:
Tessa d'Urberville: Historia kobiety czystej
Róża Czekańska-Heymanowa, Thomas Hardy
3.67 AVERAGE
This was one of the bleakest books I have ever read. The plot is nigh on constant suffering for the protagonist, and the only time it gets even vaguely better, it is overshadowed by Tess's guilt and fear of abandonment, which, naturally comes to fruition, as this book apparently follows the Murphy's Law of misery. It also took me forever to read, not only because of its dark subject matter, but also because the writer spends extensive time describing the countryside and the nature around the characters; not, however, that this is a bad thing, as nature becomes almost one of the characters in the book, far more steadfast and constant than any of the men.
Despite this critique, this was much more beautifully written than I had anticipated; Hardy talks about gods and beauty and Shakespeare, and the style is immersive and richly fulfilling. Although the descriptions of dairy farming might be lengthy, they truly are a time-capsule into what life would have been like in 1800s, complete with the full depth of human emotions and feelings.
I was also struck with how sympathetic Hardy is towards Tess - although she frequently blames herself, I don't believe he ever puts the blame on her at all, and instead emphasizes how victimised and abused she is. I think this is most prominently seen where Tess writes the last letter to Angel, and declares that she had never intended to hurt anyone, and acknowledges that she has been incredibly unfairly treated; to me, that was one of the most powerful scenes in the book.
Despite this critique, this was much more beautifully written than I had anticipated; Hardy talks about gods and beauty and Shakespeare, and the style is immersive and richly fulfilling. Although the descriptions of dairy farming might be lengthy, they truly are a time-capsule into what life would have been like in 1800s, complete with the full depth of human emotions and feelings.
I was also struck with how sympathetic Hardy is towards Tess - although she frequently blames herself, I don't believe he ever puts the blame on her at all, and instead emphasizes how victimised and abused she is. I think this is most prominently seen where Tess writes the last letter to Angel, and declares that she had never intended to hurt anyone, and acknowledges that she has been incredibly unfairly treated; to me, that was one of the most powerful scenes in the book.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sad
medium-paced
4.5 stars, I didn't know anything about this book before reading it, and the introduction gave away most of the plot so...I know it's a classic but come on, we all have to read them for the first time at some point!
I love Hardy's writing, and his portrayal of a woman in unfavorable circumstances is impressive for the time (as far as I know, I was impressed anyway). It really is tragic, but can a girl find one decent man on the planet?
I love Hardy's writing, and his portrayal of a woman in unfavorable circumstances is impressive for the time (as far as I know, I was impressed anyway). It really is tragic, but can a girl find one decent man on the planet?
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
I finished Tess of the D'urbervilles tonight. What a brilliant, emotional, tragic novel. It hit really close to home throughout most of the story for me, and I absolutely loved the ending. The writing style was creative enough and the story maintained my interest. It came close to Anna Karenina/Levin territory but Hardy did it way better than Tolstoy by giving purpose and allowing the monotonous farming to be crucial to the plot and actually develop it rather than take away from it. Looking forward to watching the mini series now.