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kellyrenea's review against another edition
3.0
Hardy is definitely a classic author. I love his ability to create such 3 dimensional characters that feel real and that you can care about and understand their desire to better themselves.
But I have a hard time with all the horrid characters who come in and commit atrocities on the main character which ultimately leads to his downfall.
I had a lot of the same feelings with Tess of D’Ubervilles but at least in that novel I feel the heroine was able to fight back somewhat against her horrible situations, although it did ultimately lead to her end. Jude was awarded no such opportunity.
But I have a hard time with all the horrid characters who come in and commit atrocities on the main character which ultimately leads to his downfall.
I had a lot of the same feelings with Tess of D’Ubervilles but at least in that novel I feel the heroine was able to fight back somewhat against her horrible situations, although it did ultimately lead to her end. Jude was awarded no such opportunity.
happylilkt's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't abide this read in my high school AP lit course. Maybe it's because I liked pretty much everything else we read? Or maybe because I had read [b:Adam Bede|20563|Adam Bede|George Eliot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1167298252l/20563._SY75_.jpg|21503633] the summer previous and they seemed so similar...and long... and depressing. Honestly, sometimes I wonder why we throw some of these authors at high schoolers. I wonder if some authors need a more maturity to be appreciated. Regardless, almost 20 years later and I absolutely adored [b:Under the Greenwood Tree|825901|Under the Greenwood Tree|Thomas Hardy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1178724039l/825901._SY75_.jpg|2728346] (Hardy like you've never read him before or since) and reveled in the tragedy that is [b:The Return of the Native|32650|The Return of the Native|Thomas Hardy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403182613l/32650._SY75_.jpg|3140534]; so now I'm wondering if I should revisit Tess... I'm going to try another novel first (probably [b:Far From the Madding Crowd|31463|Far From the Madding Crowd|Thomas Hardy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388279695l/31463._SY75_.jpg|914540]) and then decide.
monkymarzipan's review against another edition
4.0
I'VE BEEN ANGRY FOR THREE DAYS HOW DARE HE WHAT THE FUCK WHY DO I KEEP READING BOOKS THAT BREAK MY HEART
frostbitsky's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
It was my sister who suggested this book and I am glad she did. I only regret that I had to take a break from it after the second phase because I had to return it since the library had a hold for someone. But I got it back 3 weeks later.
Thomas Hardy writes so beautifully and poetically. And the story is so tragic. I felt for Tess and how her circumstances effected her life. The prejudice she received, the sorrow and guilt she felt for herself, broke my heart.
Angel really angered me.His absence and unwillingness to forgive Tess (not that she needed forgiveness for that "sin", maybe just for not being honest with him) caused her to think even less of herself and lose hope till she was forced, as a last resort, to accept Alec's help.
But at least Angle turns around in the end. He redeemed himself. But Alec...Alec is annoying and despicable. I knew that SOB was a liar when he said he had "seen the light" and was now a "good Christian." And I was right! He was a lying sack of shit!
And the nerve, the audacity of Alec to put the blame on Tess, saying she seduced him. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE CHICKENS, SHE DOESN'T LIKE YOU AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO AVOID YOU SINCE THE MOMENT YOU MET, SO F-CK OFF!
I only regret Alec didn't suffer a more painful and drawn out, excruciating death.
Tess' mother is no better. Mrs. Oh-I-should-have-checked-to-see-if-this-man-was-honorable-before-I-sent-my-daughter-off-with-him. Stupid selfish bitch. Tess deserves a better mother.
I was hoping Tess and Angel would make it to the port. :( Just the poor girl's luck that she gets caught and executed. That demon had it coming. He ruined her life.
Ironic that Tess had wished for death periodically throughout the novel. And so sad cause before she was raped she was a happy girl. Freaking heartbreaking. I just wanted to take her into my arms and tell her she didn't need to feel shame.
The bad omens on Tess and Angel's wedding day were freaky. Well done foreshadowing.
The prose took me a while to wrap my head around but it was so beautiful.
Example: "O why have you treated me so monstrously, Angel ! I do not deserve it. I have thought it all over carefully, and I can never, never forgive you! You know that I did not intend to wrong you - why have you so wronged me? You are cruel, cruel indeed! I will try to forget you. It is all injustice I have received at your hands!"
- Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urberville, Chapter 51
source.
5 out of 5 blighted stars
Thomas Hardy writes so beautifully and poetically. And the story is so tragic. I felt for Tess and how her circumstances effected her life. The prejudice she received, the sorrow and guilt she felt for herself, broke my heart.
Angel really angered me.
But at least Angle turns around in the end. He redeemed himself. But Alec...Alec is annoying and despicable. I knew that SOB was a liar when he said he had "seen the light" and was now a "good Christian." And I was right! He was a lying sack of shit!
And the nerve, the audacity of Alec to put the blame on Tess, saying she seduced him. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE CHICKENS, SHE DOESN'T LIKE YOU AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO AVOID YOU SINCE THE MOMENT YOU MET, SO F-CK OFF!
I only regret Alec didn't suffer a more painful and drawn out, excruciating death.
Tess' mother is no better. Mrs. Oh-I-should-have-checked-to-see-if-this-man-was-honorable-before-I-sent-my-daughter-off-with-him. Stupid selfish bitch. Tess deserves a better mother.
I was hoping Tess and Angel would make it to the port. :( Just the poor girl's luck that she gets caught and executed. That demon had it coming. He ruined her life.
Ironic that Tess had wished for death periodically throughout the novel. And so sad cause before she was raped she was a happy girl. Freaking heartbreaking. I just wanted to take her into my arms and tell her she didn't need to feel shame.
The bad omens on Tess and Angel's wedding day were freaky. Well done foreshadowing.
The prose took me a while to wrap my head around but it was so beautiful.
Example: "O why have you treated me so monstrously, Angel ! I do not deserve it. I have thought it all over carefully, and I can never, never forgive you! You know that I did not intend to wrong you - why have you so wronged me? You are cruel, cruel indeed! I will try to forget you. It is all injustice I have received at your hands!"
- Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urberville, Chapter 51
source.
5 out of 5 blighted stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
mphoebeg's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
bookishchristiana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"Did it never strike your mind that what every woman says, some women may feel?"
&
"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!" - Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
This read has been a long time coming. In my final year of high school, for Advanced Higher English, our class was meant to read two Thomas Hardy books: Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Return of the Native. There is something in me that automatically refuses to read something as soon as I'm told, so I didn't read them (I chose the poetry focus instead). However, I have had these books for over five years now, so I thought I should probably get around to it (mainly in audiobook form - tip: if you're finding a classic difficult, maybe try listening to it). Anyway, I have finally finished the first of the two, and my goodness, it was depressing! That isn't to say it wasn't good; I really respect what Hardy was trying to do and think he executed it really well. Nevertheless, it is quite a sad and traumatic book. Tess is our protagonist and key victim and is portrayed very sympathetically for the time period. Hardy demonstrates how brutal and unfeeling the moral code of Victorian England was, whilst contrasting the views of the rural working class with those of the middle classes moving towards industrialisation.
Primarily, the book focuses on the precarious situations young women are placed in through a lack of education on the dangers of the world and (more specifically) men. However, there is also a focus on the transition from traditional seasonal farming communities to busier city industries and how this affects the population used to the former. I'm not as good at literary criticism as I once was (sorry), but this was the general gist I understood. I wouldn't say this is a favourite book of mine, and it was quite hard to get through at times. However, I very much understand why this is considered a masterpiece by Hardy and why it has stood the test of time. I am very glad I have finally read it, and would absolutely recommend it as a key English classic (and perhaps feminist too, despite not being written by a woman). I also think me-now appreciates it a lot more than me-at-17 would have. - C x
&
"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!" - Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
This read has been a long time coming. In my final year of high school, for Advanced Higher English, our class was meant to read two Thomas Hardy books: Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Return of the Native. There is something in me that automatically refuses to read something as soon as I'm told, so I didn't read them (I chose the poetry focus instead). However, I have had these books for over five years now, so I thought I should probably get around to it (mainly in audiobook form - tip: if you're finding a classic difficult, maybe try listening to it). Anyway, I have finally finished the first of the two, and my goodness, it was depressing! That isn't to say it wasn't good; I really respect what Hardy was trying to do and think he executed it really well. Nevertheless, it is quite a sad and traumatic book. Tess is our protagonist and key victim and is portrayed very sympathetically for the time period. Hardy demonstrates how brutal and unfeeling the moral code of Victorian England was, whilst contrasting the views of the rural working class with those of the middle classes moving towards industrialisation.
Primarily, the book focuses on the precarious situations young women are placed in through a lack of education on the dangers of the world and (more specifically) men. However, there is also a focus on the transition from traditional seasonal farming communities to busier city industries and how this affects the population used to the former. I'm not as good at literary criticism as I once was (sorry), but this was the general gist I understood. I wouldn't say this is a favourite book of mine, and it was quite hard to get through at times. However, I very much understand why this is considered a masterpiece by Hardy and why it has stood the test of time. I am very glad I have finally read it, and would absolutely recommend it as a key English classic (and perhaps feminist too, despite not being written by a woman). I also think me-now appreciates it a lot more than me-at-17 would have. - C x
grace612's review
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
greeneyedbookworm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.5
What a depressing book 😂 Basically men have been trash since forever.
anshikatrivedi_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Who was the moral man? Who was the moral woman? The beauty or ugliness of a character lay not only in its achievements, but in its aims and impulses; its true history lay, not among things done but among things willed.
She was not an existence, an experience, a passion, a structure of sensations to anybody but herself.
The two halves of an approximately perfect whole did not confront each other at perfect moment; part and counterpart wandered independently about the earth in the stupidest manner for a while, till the late time came. Out of which maladroit delay sprang anxieties, disappointments, shocks, catastrophes - what was called a strange destiny.
cleothebengal's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Thomas Hardy novel, and boy am I glad that I started here. If you're going to start reading Victorian novels, start here. Hardy writes like Dickens, but with fewer street urchins and more poetry.
Although Tess is a bit of a limp noodle personality-wise, she is so incredibly tough, and Angel Clare's treatment of her caused me to want to throw the book across the room at times. Side note: I know his parents were in with the church and everything, but "Angel", really?
This is written so beautifully. It makes me want to live out in the English country and milk cows, whilst being wooed by a studious stranger and his harp. Tess is such a badass. She takes care of business. Honestly even though this is 450ish pages, it's so worth it. It's incredible.
Although Tess is a bit of a limp noodle personality-wise, she is so incredibly tough, and Angel Clare's treatment of her caused me to want to throw the book across the room at times. Side note: I know his parents were in with the church and everything, but "Angel", really?
This is written so beautifully. It makes me want to live out in the English country and milk cows, whilst being wooed by a studious stranger and his harp. Tess is such a badass. She takes care of business. Honestly even though this is 450ish pages, it's so worth it. It's incredible.