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tjwallace04 's review for:
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Tess of the D'Urbervilles" is not one of those classics that I can unreservedly love, but I do admire it. I read it first as a teenager and basically remembered nothing other than vague gothic images of a woman by ruins. So it was interesting to re-discover that the gothic elements are secondary to pastoral ones, and that overall the book is infused with realism. The narrative actually felt quite modern to me, which was not at all what I was expecting.
I didn't really love or completely understand Tess, but I felt like Hardy had a lot of respect and compassion for her. This book was electrifying in its time for its sympathetic portrayal of the "fallen woman." Of course, Alec was awful, but at least he was honestly and forthrightly awful; Angel was sneakily awful, so I think I despised him more, (view spoiler)
The last 10% of the book is pretty crazy and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the narrative. It was exciting but almost too bizarre, and both Tess and Angel felt like completely different characters. My favorite parts of the book were the farm scenes...the milking, harvesting vegetables, the beautiful descriptions of nature, and Tess's long walks through the countryside. And dang, but I liked Tess's mom.😅 I am not sure if Hardy wanted you to like her or not, but she had some serious spunk.
Ultimately, this book is a really interesting and sometimes moving look at late Victorian England and its struggles with changing morality and industrialization. To me, the characters were almost secondary to the portrait of a community and a time.
I didn't really love or completely understand Tess, but I felt like Hardy had a lot of respect and compassion for her. This book was electrifying in its time for its sympathetic portrayal of the "fallen woman." Of course, Alec was awful, but at least he was honestly and forthrightly awful; Angel was sneakily awful, so I think I despised him more, (view spoiler)
The last 10% of the book is pretty crazy and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the narrative. It was exciting but almost too bizarre, and both Tess and Angel felt like completely different characters. My favorite parts of the book were the farm scenes...the milking, harvesting vegetables, the beautiful descriptions of nature, and Tess's long walks through the countryside. And dang, but I liked Tess's mom.😅 I am not sure if Hardy wanted you to like her or not, but she had some serious spunk.
Ultimately, this book is a really interesting and sometimes moving look at late Victorian England and its struggles with changing morality and industrialization. To me, the characters were almost secondary to the portrait of a community and a time.