Product Description

When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. With its sensitive depiction of the wronged Tess and powerful criticism of social convention, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one of the most moving and poetic of Hardy's novels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1381 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

Synopsis
When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. With its sensitive depiction of the wronged Tess and powerful criticism of social convention, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one of the most moving and poetic of Hardy's novels.

About the Author
Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 and wrote both poetry and novels, including The Mayor of Casterbridge, Far From the Madding Crowd and Jude the Obscure. He died in 1928. Tim Dolin teaches English at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales. Margaret R. Higonnet teaches English and Comparative Literature at the University of Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

An Excellent work of art ..
Hardy examines the difficulties in the life of a women and explores the inner feelings of Tess during the events that happened to her. The novel brings you the ages old question of fate and free will and he left it on the reader to decide if they really are free in this world to live the life as they want to.

An excellent novel that still can be related to the situation of women in today's society. We believe that women is now independent and liberated from the burdens of social nomrs and is now living according to her free will. But is it really true? Read the novel and you will realize how wrong you are if you think like this, you will be reminded of many women that you personally know who were exploited by someone in the same manner. Only the time is different and perhaps the names.

Work of Art
I'm in love with this book. Truely amazing. I know Tess is just a fictional protagonist but I truely believed her character and was moved especially by the last few pages of the book. If there is one book you should read before you die it just certainly be this one.

Genius
I think that Thomas Hardy's poetry lends his description a lovely rhythm, and the bleakly tragic story is one of the most moving I've ever read.
My complaint is only that the portrayal of Tess as pure and virtuous, etc. becomes slightly irritating after a while.