Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
3 1/2 stars
Oy vey. I don't know what to think about this book. Kinda liked it, kinda hated it. Sheesh, can it get any more depressing? Talk about a guy who thinks with his d!@#. I hated the character of Sue, what a kook. I hated Arabella too, though. She reminded me of my ex sister-in-law. yeah, that bad.
I have to think about this one for a while.
Oy vey. I don't know what to think about this book. Kinda liked it, kinda hated it. Sheesh, can it get any more depressing? Talk about a guy who thinks with his d!@#. I hated the character of Sue, what a kook. I hated Arabella too, though. She reminded me of my ex sister-in-law. yeah, that bad.
I have to think about this one for a while.
Absolutely amazing. There is so much to unpack and this is such a great critique on marriage, religion, class, and the expectations of women. This is one of the 4 books I’ve read that made me cry.
dark
sad
wait until thomas hardy realizes his misogyny accidentally made his character a lesbian baddie.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
If Marvin The Paranoid Android were ever to put his sizeable brain to writing a late 19th Century novel, it would probably be this. Be in no doubt - it is a masterpiece which anticipates the novels of D. H. Lawrence some 30 years later - but it is pretty unremittingly grim.
Jude is a young man with ideas above his station, harbouring a desire to attend the University at Christminister (Oxford). He makes a couple of poor choices in his life, but the fates definitely have him in their sights.
There is much social commentary here, and in particular we see the tensions between Victorian Christianity and women’s’ rights, which were beginning to appear at the time.
Essential reading, but no laughs.
Jude is a young man with ideas above his station, harbouring a desire to attend the University at Christminister (Oxford). He makes a couple of poor choices in his life, but the fates definitely have him in their sights.
There is much social commentary here, and in particular we see the tensions between Victorian Christianity and women’s’ rights, which were beginning to appear at the time.
Essential reading, but no laughs.
can now confirm that this is in fact the most dire and bleak novel by thomas hardy. jude has a miserable existence. he is first unwanted by his parents and then subsequently unwanted by his aunt. he grows up seeing his dreams fade away. marriage, social determinism and religion all play an active role in dashing his dreams. jude covets something he has no right to get. he has a thirst for knowledge/education. his pursuit of this unattainable dream only brings him suffering; that and the fact that jude is part of the working class. there is nothing easy, happy, or even good about judes life. only misery and sadness. thomas hardy has a dark vision of life. this is best illustrated when little jude hangs himself along with his half siblings. this tragic event marks jude. it defeats him. social determinism defeats everybody. judes death is very poignant. he dies never fulfilling his dream of going to university. it remained only ever a dream. a path jude aspired to -but could and would never- tread on himself. jude dies obscure, unknown, indistinguishable, insignificant. despite his high ambitions he is unable to escape the faith of all poor men. his attempt to defy the system only brought him misery. ultimately, death is the best deliverance.
Brutal condemnation of the institution of marriage and its corrosive effects on the dreams and independence of young people. Also a stern reminder of the consequences of subliminating our own agency and goals to the wishes of others.
