Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891)

by Thomas Hardy

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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▾LibraryThing recommendations

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1957)
Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy (1935)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871)
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (1961)
Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1956)

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1900)
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1962)
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (1967)
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (1961)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1911)

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50
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (alaudacorax)
alaudacorax: At the moment, I think this is the finest of Hardy's novels - if you've read and liked any of the others I'm sure you'll like this. If you've been turned-off by the grimness of some of his others - Tess ..., for instance - you might well find this more palatable.… (more)
51
Middlemarch, Volume I by George Eliot (readerbabe1984)
40
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (roby72)
30
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (Booksloth)
30
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe (roby72)
10
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (roby72)
21
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (Johanna11)
Johanna11: Both books write about people with expectations for their future, both are very well written at the end of the nineteenth century.
11
The Quarry Wood by Nan Shepherd (edwinbcn)
edwinbcn: Written by a woman, "The Quarry Wood" explores the awakening sexuality and awareness of the young Martha. More outspoken than Thomas Hardy, but not yet as free as D.H. Lawrence.
01
Adam Bede by George Eliot (Heather39)
Heather39: Both books tell the story of a young, working class woman who enters into a relationship with a gentleman, eventually to her downfall.
02
Villette by Charlotte Brontë (allenmichie)
03
Muriel's Wedding [film] by P. J. Hogan (lucyknows)
lucyknows: Muriel's Wedding could be paired with Tess of the D'Urbervilles as well as several other novels, such as, My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and even with Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing

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▾Member reviews

English (137) French (3) Italian (1) German (1) Dutch (1) All languages (143)

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Showing 1-5 of 137 (next | show all)

Absolutely heartbreaking and so beautifully written I wanted to cry. (

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DonnaB317 | Mar 7, 2014 |

So depressing that I never quite finished. I skipped to the last few pages about halfway through the book. (

)

ClosetWryter | Mar 3, 2014 |

read if you enjoy schadenfreude (

)

Achromatic | Feb 16, 2014 |

This re-reading has reminded me why I've avoided Tess for about a decade: I find it absolutely maddening! Or, more to the point, I find her absolutely maddening.

rmaitzen | Feb 7, 2014 |

I really, really do not like this book at all and, to be honest, I found the ending concerning her sister a little bit twisted and wrong. How that is supposed to make the misery of the rest of the book okay, I don't know. Yes, it gives you a lot to think about. And yes, it does have a good storyline, but some of the final conclusions just made me want to reinvent the ending for myself as the headstrong protagonist apparently completely lost herself and ended up doing things I would never have expected considering the character that was laid out beforehand. (

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RebeccaClareSmith | Jan 24, 2014 |

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thingScore 100

Daring in its treatment of conventional ideas, pathetic in its sadness, and profoundly stirring by its tragic power. The very title, "Tess of the D'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman", is a challenge to convention.

added by Shortride | editThe Times

▾Other authors

» Add other authors (111 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Thomas Hardy	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Alvarez, A.	Introduction	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Cosham, Ralph	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Firth, Peter	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Irwin, Michael	Introduction	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Skilton, David	Editor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Thorne, Stephen	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Work-to-work relationships

Is contained in

Thomas Hardy: Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Under the Greenwood Tree, The Well-Beloved (Great Classic Library) by Thomas Hardy

Far from the madding crowd / The Mayor of Casterbridge / Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

ROMANZI by Thomas Hardy

Far from the Madding Crowd / The Mayor of Casterbridge / Tess of the d'Urbervilles / Wessex Tales / The Woodlanders (Omnibus) by Thomas Hardy

Is retold in

Tess of the D'Urbervilles [adapted - Oxford Bookworms] by Clare West

Has the adaptation

Tess of the d'Urbervilles (2008) by David Blair

Has as a student's study guide

CliffsNotes on Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Lorraine M. Force

Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (Sparknotes) by Brian Phillips

Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Monarch Notes) by Robert William Ackerman

Thomas Hardy's Tess Of The D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

(show 4 more)

York Notes Advanced on "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy (York Notes Advanced) by Karen Sayer

Hardy -- Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Coles Publishing Company.,

"Tess of the D'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy (Palgrave Master Guides) by James Gibson

York Notes Advanced: Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

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▾Common Knowledge

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Series (with order)

Canonical title

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Original title

Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

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Important events

Related movies

Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1998 ∙ IMDb)

Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008 ∙ IMDb)

Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1913 ∙ IMDb)

Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1924 ∙ IMDb)

Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1952 ∙ IMDb)

(show all 6 items)

Awards and honors

BBC's Big Read (Best loved novel, 2003, No 26)

Guardian 1000 (Love)

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006/2008/2010 Edition)

The Telegraph's 110 Best Books: The Perfect Library (2008)

Daniel S. Burt's Novel 100 (34)

(show all 11 items)

Epigraph

'...Poor wounded name! My bosom as a bed | Shall lodge thee.', - W. Shakespeare [Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act 1, Scene 2, 111/12] & should read: 'Poor wounded name: My bosom as a bed | Shall lodge thee...', [Riverside Shakespeare (1997)].

Dedication

First words

On an evening in the latter part of May a middle-aged man was walking homeward from Shaston to the village of Marlott, in the adjoining Vale of Blakemore or Blackmoor.

Quotations

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

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Publisher series

Wordsworth Classics

Penguin Classics

Everyman's Library New Series (33)

Modern Library (72)

Modern Library Classics

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▾References

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Wikipedia in English (4)

Aldebaran in fiction

Barnes & Noble Classics Collection

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▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

In order to step out of family poverty, Tess attempts to find her ancient relations, the d'Urbervilles. Unfortunately, she is taken advantage of by a man which causes her even more strife throughout the rest of her life. She is forced into a moral delimma when she truly falls in love with another man due to her previous circumstances. More conflicted than ever, Tess is able to eventually become a strong woman who makes choices for herself instead of what the society tells her is right. This book was some what a hard book for me to get through because some parts of it seem very dry, but overall the story line is interesting.

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▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0141439599, Paperback)

The chance discovery by a young peasant woman that she is a descendant of the noble family of d'Urbervilles is to change the course of her life. Tess Durbeyfield leaves home on the first of her fateful journeys, and meets the ruthless Alec d'Urberville. Thomas Hardy's impassioned story tells of hope and disappointment, rejection and enduring love.

(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:43:18 -0400)

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▾Library descriptions

"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. Based on the three-volume first edition that shocked readers when first published in 1891, this edition includes as appendices: Hardy's Prefaces, the Landscapes of Tess, episodes originally censored from the Graphic periodical version and a selection of the Graphic illustrations."--Back cover.… (more)

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