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A review by bookishchristiana
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
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?"
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"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