... In Tess, a young girl is taken advantage of by her employer and raped; the plot also deals with an alcoholic father, pregnancy out of wedlock and even murder. This could easily be the tagline for a contemporary novel, but contemporary authors have a distinct advantage over Hardy: they can ... Read review
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Advantages: A fantastic plot and fascinating characters Disadvantages: A little sickly-sweet in places and relies heavily on coincidence
...oblivious to the fact that Tess had been raped and were surprised to read that she had a baby!
A major criticism of Hardy's works, including Tess, is that he tends to rely too much on coincidence and his plots are very fatalistic and therefore unrealistic. While I understand this viewpoint, I love the plot with its tragic turns of events and coincidences and would argue that sometimes life is stranger than fiction, so Hardy's fatalism ... ...the plot.
Tess herself is a very likeable tragic heroine whose major flaw is her naivety and sense of responsibility. I think that Hardy does desperately want her to be happy, but knows that that could never happen due to the turn of events (I don't want to give the plot away!). Yes, there are times when you want to slap her for not being a little wiser and more independent, but these flaws are due to Tess being such a product of her ... more
The most under-appreciated aspect of Hardy is how he delves fearlessly into tackling issues which were, at the time, taboo and even still have a certain stigma attached to them. In Tess, a young girl is taken advantage of by her employer and raped; the plot also deals with an alcoholic father, pregnancy out of wedlock and even murder. This could easily be the tagline for a contemporary novel, but contemporary authors have a distinct advantage over Hardy: they can write about these issues explicitly without criticism. Hardy could not. People tend to lose sight of this nowadays, viewing Hardy as a talented but unadventurous author; they forget that in the nineteenth century, it was considered obscene to write about some of the things Hardy did and to have it all happen in a rural setting was especially maverick in a world where all English literature revolved around London and country-folk were ignored. Hardy therefore had little choice but to be subtle while describing such issues (or risk not being published at all), so his temerity is often over-looked by twenty-first century readers and some may find it difficult to understand what is happening - several members of my English Literature A Level class were oblivious to the fact that Tess had been raped and were surprised to read that she had a baby!
A major criticism of Hardy's works, including Tess, is that he tends to rely too much on coincidence and his plots are very fatalistic and therefore unrealistic. While I understand this viewpoint, I love the plot with its tragic turns of events and coincidences and would argue that sometimes life is stranger than fiction, so Hardy's fatalism has a place in literature. The plot is varied and does get a little dull in places, although my English Lit class all loved and hated different sections so there's probably something for everybody. There are some sickly-sweet places where Hardy seems to get carried away a little (the utopia of Talbothays, for example), but I think these are balanced out by the harshness of other sections of the plot.
Tess herself is a very likeable tragic heroine whose major flaw is her naivety and sense of responsibility. I think that Hardy does desperately want her to be happy, but knows that that could never happen due to the turn of events (I don't want to give the plot away!). Yes, there are times when you want to slap her for not being a little wiser and more independent, but these flaws are due to Tess being such a product of her upbringing (look at her parents: a drunk with too much ambition because his ancestors were knights and a mother who looks in a fortune-telling book to make decisions). This is an unusually sympathetic portrayal of a woman who has fallen victim to fate and circumstance and even committed crimes herself along the way - unusual for both a Victorian novel and a male author, another under-appreciated aspect of Hardy's work.
Angel Clare was the subject of a heated debate in my Lit class: most of the girls hated him and my teacher loved him. I'm sitting on the fence here and saying that he is a balanced character who offers a stark contrast to the repulsive Alec D'Urberville, likeable enough but he betrays Tess too much. I think Angel acts as the Victorian conscience: deeply religious and 'good', he has a sickening holier-than-thou attitude and makes Tess feel guilty about her 'crime'. This is the hardest bit to digest, but it's vitally important to understand: rape was viewed as adultery in Victorian society, so Tess's rape is basically her own fault according to that attitude. Hardy obviously disagrees with this view and is critical of Angel Clare for not being more supportive (a view which I concur with) and while he portrays Alec as the villain of the story, Angel never quite fits the role of hero.
I could write all day and all night about the characters, plot and issues, trying to persuade you to read this novel, but it is too easy to ignore the most obvious and best part of this novel: your personal emotional response. I'm not ashamed to say that although I have read this novel several times over 7+ years, it still has the ability to make me feel sad, angry, happy, frustrated...It can also make me bawl like a baby! Technically, Tess is a good novel with all the details you could wish for (even the minutae of a 'red' motif, recurring references to graveyard trees, etc.), but emotionally, it is a masterpiece.
Advantages: Great characters and descriptions of setting Disadvantages: Some parts are boring, depressing
...Early on in the novel Tess Durbeyfield finds out that she is a descendent of the nobel D'Urbervilles. After the death of the family's horse, 'Prince', Tess is made to visit Alec D'Urberville who lives in a neighbouring village to ask for financial assistance. Little does she know that she is employed not because Alec actually needs her but because he fancies her. This leads to several encounters between them where Alec tries to approach Tess in a ... ...However, Tess being so young and innocent does not know what to do and rejects him. However an important event happens during her time with Alec, that is, she is raped by the latter. This makes her leave Alec only to find out she is pregnant.
Anyway some time later, the baby dies and Tess is off to new pastures to find work. She goes to Talbothays where she meets Angel Clare and falls in love with him. These turn out to be the happiest days of her ...
jeffe 29.03.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Advantages: A tragic but wonderful read Disadvantages: None
...old favourite of mine - Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. When the book ( first called 'A Pure Woman') was published in 1891, it ruffled quite a few Victorian feathers!! Hardy fearlessly tackled issues such as murder, rape and violence which were, at the time unmentionable. What readers today have to understand is that the topics Hardy covered - while commonplace in contemporary literature, were considered obscene in the nineteenth century. ... ...truth be concealed." Tess of the D'Urbervilles deals with the oppression of an innocent girl. Most of the consequences she faced were not due to her own actions which makes this story somewhat of a tragedy in that sense giving the book a mood that you can try to make for yourself a good life, but you do not determine your own outcome. The book starts with a somewhat insignificant incident - or so we think : John Durbeyfield, a middle-aged peddler, ...
oldchem 04.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Advantages: Tess's character is lovely, the language and description are beautiful Disadvantages: a sobering read, portrays a bad picture of men
...for a woman such as Tess to be seen as pure in Hardy's eyes. I'm giving a fairly lengthy plot description here, so apologies if you get bored, and the ending is given away, so watch out! Tess Durbeyfield is the peasant daughter of haggler John. She is partaking in a local dance with other girls when three young brothers wander along- Angel, Felix and Cuthbert (poor bugger) Clare. Angel wants to join in the dance, but his older brothers are basically ... ...horse and cart. He gets Tess and her little brother to do it instead. Tess falls asleep and the horse ends up in an accident and is killed. As a result, the overly sensitive Tess feels guilty not realising it is really John's fault. Meanwhile her mother Joan has learned that a Lady D'Urberville lives in a neighbouring village. She wants to send Tess to claim kin and learning that there is a master D'urberville, has notions that Tess, being a beautiful ...
wicked_witch 25.06.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Advantages: it's a good story. Disadvantages: very depresssing
Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a novel that frequently comes up an A level reading lists. It's a well known Hardy novel (helped by the Roman Polanski film of the book) and a particularly depressing one at that.
I'm going to do a plot spoiler, so If you don't want to know what happens, don't read the next paragraph.
A chance remark by the local vicar causes Tess's father to realise that his family is descended from nobility. When a freak accident ... ...but are happy to offer Tess work. The young man of the house, Alec, seduces Tess. She leaves, and later gives birth to a child, who dies not long after. Tess then goes to work on a dairy farm where she meets Angel Claire, a vicar's son. They fall in love. Tess writes a confession of her past and posts in under Angel's door, and under his carpet so he never finds it. She repeats her confession on her wedding night, he is unable to accept her past ...
Bryn_Pearson 06.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Advantages: A good read and use of language Disadvantages: A little depressing at times
When Tess of the d’Urbervilles was first published 1891, it caused a great stir. This story was one of the first to include a great variety of topics such as murder, rape and violence. Written by Thomas Hardy, it is a rather depressing novel that follows the life of Tess Durbeyfield who seems to have continuous theme of bad luck throughout her life. The novel begins with John Durbeyfield begin informed by a Parson that he and his family belong to ... ...this in mind, he sends Tess out to go and claim kinship. This is when she meets Alec d’Urberville, a person we will get to know very well. What we find out after Tess has left though is the fact that Alec only bought the name d’Urberville to replace their actual name the Stokes. Alec obviously takes a liking to Tess, but Tess is a little wary and shy and soon leaves.
A few days later Tess gets invited to go and work for the d’Urbervilles. When she ...
RobStead 10.01.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
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Advantages: Passionate, unique Disadvantages: The ending isn't as 'satisfying' as it could be
Two On A Tower must be one of the most under-rated of ThomasHardy's novels. Whilst it's not perhaps the same standard as Tess of the D'Urbervilles and The Woodlanders, it's still a fantastic novel and it's a shame that most people have never heard of it. It's hard to compare it to Hardy's better-known works, as I can't quite put my finger on all the differences - the passion and realism is still there, but in a different way than it is in Jude The Obscure or Tess.
Two On A Tower is essentially the age-old love story between two people whose circumstances presents a social barrier, in this case class and an older woman being the issues, but Hardy's skill elevates it. The novel was written in 1882, ten years after Hardy's first published novel, and his experience already shows. Some writers are simply a pleasure to read and, in my ...
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 ...
Product Information for "Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Classics
Title
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Author
Thomas Hardy
ISBN
333372875
EAN
9780333372876
Manufacturer's product description
The story of Tess, struggling to overcome the pitfalls that poverty and ignorance strew in her way. Of all Hardy's novels, this one provides a particularly interesting example of the extent to which Hardy was obliged to bow to the dictates of late-Victorian morality.
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