Jude the Obscure was panned by critics when it first appeared in print towards the end of the nineteenth century. Hardy was so stung by the criticism that this was to be his last novel; for the next thirty years he wrote only poetry and drama.
The book completely fails to live up to the ... Read review
Advantages: Typical Hardy - tragic tale of thwarted ambition Disadvantages: Maybe too depressing for some
Jude the Obscure was panned by critics when it first appeared in print towards the end of the nineteenth century. Hardy was so stung by the criticism that this was to be his last novel; for the next thirty years he wrote only poetry and drama.
The book completely fails to live up to the expectations of the Victorian novel, and as such it was revolutionary. The sentimental idea (so prevalent in Austen for example) of a character being ... ...rejection and disillusionment. Cheery stuff! Jude is encouraged by a local schoolmaster (Phillotson)to go to Christminster (Oxford). Once there, he finds he is rejected, and his illusions of the place as a seat of scholarly learning are shattered when he finds that the students are ignorant and prejudiced. He ends up (bitter irony) repairing the masonry of the University.
He meets up with Arabella, who represents simple, lustful passion. ... more
Jude the Obscure was panned by critics when it first appeared in print towards the end of the nineteenth century. Hardy was so stung by the criticism that this was to be his last novel; for the next thirty years he wrote only poetry and drama.
The book completely fails to live up to the expectations of the Victorian novel, and as such it was revolutionary. The sentimental idea (so prevalent in Austen for example) of a character being rewarded for his or her good deeds at the end of a novel, probably by being married into a great house, is completely smashed by Hardy. This book was ahead of its time, and it still has the power to shock. It is not surprising that it was so derided.
The story is one of failed ambition, rejection and disillusionment. Cheery stuff! Jude is encouraged by a local schoolmaster (Phillotson)to go to Christminster (Oxford). Once there, he finds he is rejected, and his illusions of the place as a seat of scholarly learning are shattered when he finds that the students are ignorant and prejudiced. He ends up (bitter irony) repairing the masonry of the University.
He meets up with Arabella, who represents simple, lustful passion. She betrays Jude by pretending that she is pregnant and forcing him to marry her, whereupon she leaves him.
Jude has an affair with Sue, the wife of Philltoson, who is married unhappily. However, even in this relationship, there can be no contentment. Sue is a rebel, and prizes her freedom, not wanting to be tied down by love. This is the central drama of the book, and I found myself desperately wishing for them to be happy, but, knowing Hardy, suspecting that it is all going to end in tears.
I do not want to tell you much more of the plot, because it would spoil the ending. Suffice it to say that this book explores the hypocrisy of Victorian marraige vows, and is a plea for a more tolerant society. In his absolute refusal, throughout his work, to pander to expectations of a "happy ending", and to face up to the reality of life, Hardy was a great novelist.
His lifetime, rather Romantic, preoccupation with the values of the countryside as opposed to urban sophistication are also apparent. In all his work, Hardy contrasts the relative simplicity and freedom of the country as opposed to the calculating, scheming life of the city. In Jude, this is done by exposing the hollowness and unfairness of life in Christminster. In Hardy's world, honest people are subject to the unseeing whims of Fate.
This is an uncompromising novel, with great characterisation. Hardy draws the reader skilfully into his world and makes you care about the protagonists. It is all the harder, therefore, to take the bitter truth that life is unfair and harsh. A brilliant book - I think it is second only in Hardy's writings to the superb Mayor of Casterbridge.
Advantages: strong storylinr and characterization Disadvantages: none
...in book shops or libraries. Jude the obscure is one such classic that I simply adore. Its story line and characterization is really strong. It was begun as amegazine serial by Thomas Hardy in late 19th century. Thomas hardy was turning at that point from the conventional romantic story to romantic with a tragic end to it. We cant say that Jude was a tragic hero with hamartia no we cant. He was no great man that was the first point that made me love ... ...that she is inlove with Jude and marrying Philostone was a bad idea. Sue and Jude decided to live together without marriage and Sue left Philostone. This made them a social outcast and everyone started rebuking them for their doing. Sue didnt want any sexual relationship so they slept separately for some time but then Jude convinced her in sleeping with him. This led to the birth of their illigetimate children. Then an other child came from australia ...
sandy.imy 02.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
Advantages: Hardy at his most dramatic and powerful Disadvantages: In places perhaps miserable to the point of being unbelieveable
Jude the Obscure, Hardy's last novel, is certainly considered among the better of his 20-odd novels, both by modern critics and by Hardy himself. It's my personal favourite, though Tess of the D'Urbevilles comes not far behind. The social comment is worthy - that men cannot hope to acheive greatness by virtue of hard work alone - and revolutionary for its time. The characters are live and believable, and of course Hardy is able as always to make ... ...context of Hardy's other works, Jude the Obscure is something of an oddball: the rural setting, though still there, is much less important and apparent than in any of his other books, and the descriptions of rural life and landscapes are fewer (though no less detailed and profound). Though suffering and hardship are apparent in many of his later novels, only in Tess of the D'Urbevilles is the misery nearly as complete as it is here (though in the ...
Figaro123 02.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
...becoming depressing. The character of Jude himself, despite the futility of his ambitions and his loves, is admirable though I had considerably less sympathy with his ‘soul male’ Sue Bridehead. The character of Phillotson however, whose story was in a way a reflection of Jude’s was subtly drawn and shows that Hardy rarely created simple villains. The suicide of Father Time and his murder of the other children was however too much for me – so gruesome ...
AlexMayer 07.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
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for Sylvia Plath is seemed always like a dark house.
She wrote in 'Dark House' (p. 50):
This is a dark house, very big.
I made it myself,
Cell by cell from a quite corner,
Chewing at the grey paper,
Oozing the glue drops,
Whistling, wiggling my ears,
Thinking of something else.
And in 'Face Lift' (p. 5) she wrote:
For five days I lie in secret,
Tapped like a cask, the years draining into my pillow.
Even my best friend thinks I'm the country.
?
Broody and in long skirts of my first husband's sofa, my fingers
Buried in the lambswool of the dead poodle;
I hadn't a cat yet.
Sylvia Plath perceives matrimony as an empty world, akin to feelings experienced by Sue, a main character in Jude the Obscure, ThomasHardy's last novel, which focused on the themes of sex and marriage. It's also a melancholy and an unhappiness world ...
Advantages: Wonderfully intricate plot, superb writing Disadvantages: Some might find it confusing
This is Stephen King's goodbye to novel writing, published in 1998. The central character is a novelist called Mike Noonan who hasn't been able to write another book since his wife died suddenly at the age of 34, despite spending years in the 8-15 segment of bestseller lists. He is now suffering from writer's block and can't see a way out of it - he has panic attacks whenever he opens Word on his computer.
King explains his reasons for retiring from novel writing through Noonan, particularly on the very last page where he expresses a wish to end on a high, like ThomasHardy did (though ThomasHardy gave up novels at least partly because of the criticism he received for Jude the Obscure, which people said was obscene and outraged the public).
Anyway, Mike Noonan decides to go to his summer house, Sara Laughs, which he hasn ...
Advantages: A must for Hardy fans Disadvantages: You have to be interested in Hardy
THE AUTHOR
Claire Tomalin is a noted biographer, whose work includes biogs of Mary Wollstonecraft, Katherine Mansfield, Jane Austen, and Pepys. She is married to writer Michael Frayn.
WHO IS THOMASHARDY?
ThomasHardy (1840-1928) was born at Bockhampton, Dorset and became a celebrated writer and poet, mainly of novels, short stories and poems set in ?Wessex? ie Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and part of Devon. Several notable films and TV series have been made of his novels e.g., 'Far from the Madding Crowd', 'Tess of the D'urbervilles', 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', and the dreaded 'Jude the Obscure?. These are probably most people's first introduction to ThomasHardy nowadays. Although his books about Victorian Wessex are noted for their portrayal of agricultural and provincial town life, many of his characters suffer dreadful ...
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