a_gillie 's review for:

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I couldn’t say anything about this book that hasn’t already been said, but I thought it was magnificent. Hardy’s deep empathy and love for the titular character really shines through, and writing at a time where victim-shaming (and blaming) was commonplace, it is clear where the author’s sympathies lie. In one of Hardy’s introductions to the text, he says how he did not mean for the book to be either didactic or aggressive. With that said, there is certainly a very strong moralistic satire playing out in the book; the classic Victorian struggle between right and wrong, propriety and desire. 
Hardy’s classic themes of industry vs nature are also abundant. Tess is often described as if she is of the natural environment. She is pure and radiant and bucolic in the early descriptions of her. She is then wronged, ravaged, used, and ultimately destroyed by men who would have her for their own gains. 
I found myself incredibly moved by Hardy’s poetic prose and felt an immense love for Tess herself. It was a tragic yet beautiful read.