A review by lostinthelibrary
Tess d'Uberville by Thomas Hardy

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

It's been said by most reviewers but this book was heartbreaking. Not only because of the plight that Tess goes through but because nearly 200 years later women across the globe are still facing the same unfairness. 

Although I see this book mainly as an exploration of how women's actions are policed and judged, it still touches on other subjects such as poverty, industrialisation, and rural Britain's changing face in the 19th century. And as always, it includes Hardy's lush descriptions of landscapes, settings, and weather that he is unmatched for. 

Not a happy classic, but an important one nonetheless. 

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