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Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Wordsworth Classics)
 
 

Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Wordsworth Classics) (Paperback)

by Thomas Hardy (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
Price: £1.99 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd; READING CREASES, LIGHT EDGE CORNER WEAR, edition (7 Jun 1992)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1853260053
  • ISBN-13: 978-1853260056
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #2 in  Books > Fiction > The Classics > Hardy, Thomas
    #62 in  Books > Fiction > By Period > 19th Century > Authors

Product Description

Richard Nemesvari, St. Francis Xavier University
"This edition of Hardy's most famous novel provides a forceful introduction and excellent supporting material." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
This title includes introduction and notes by Michael Irwin, Professor of English Literature, University of Kent at Canterbury. Set in Hardy's Wessex, "Tess" is a moving novel of hypocrisy and double standards. Its challenging sub-title, "A Pure Woman", infuriated critics when the book was first published in 1891, and it was condemned as immoral and pessimistic. It tells of Tess Durbeyfield, the daughter of a poor and dissipated villager, who learns that she may be descended from the ancient family of d'Urbeville. In her search for respectability her fortunes fluctuate wildly, and the story assumes the proportions of a Greek tragedy. It explores Tess' relationships with two very different men, her struggle against the social mores of the rural Victorian world which she inhabits and the hypocrisy of the age.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty, tragedy, innocence and an unforgiving society., 11 Sep 2001
By C. Arnold (Tamworth, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is a novel so saturated with emotion it is almost too much just to read it. The plot revolves around the eponymous heroine, Tess Durbeyfield, a young and innocent girl who plunges headfirst into adulthood by giving birth to an illegitimate child. Tess is immediately condemned by a cruel society and her unavoidable fate is dragged out in heart wrenching detail by Hardy. What is most interesting about the novel is the author's obvious love for his character, and it is fascinating to imagine Hardy wishing for a happy ending just like the reader, yet at the same time knowing that he is unable to help Tess, his own creation. Everyone should read this novel, it has romance, murder, tragedy, injustice, intricate social commentary, and an intoxicating melancholia. The character of Tess is so well conceived by Hardy, she appears so realistic that the reader finds themselves weeping tears for her as if she were a loved one. Persevere with Hardy's somewhat lengthy descriptions of the surrounding landscape and you will find this novel to be as beautifully perfect as I did.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A touching story..., 19 Mar 2001
By A Customer
The second time I read this book I found it much more distressing. Throughout I could see the many small instances where if things had been only a little different then Tess's tragedies could have been avoided.

There is a lot of Thomas Hardy in this book - Angel's attitudes to religion, for example, closely mirror Hardys own struggles with his beliefs and rejection of Christianity. If you have an interest in Hardy's life and his beliefs then you may find this element of the book an added attraction.

This a very touching book. A little difficult in places, but well worth persisting with.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tragic, moving tale of a woman battling against cruel fate., 19 April 2001
By A Customer
This is my favourite book by any author. It tells of a woman who is crippled by her poverty - stricken background and feckless parents, vainly trying to live according to inate ideals of sincerity, passion, loyalty and truth in a corrupt, decaying rural landscape. Her attempts to do the right thing and live life in a full, honest way are everywhere thwarted by the cruel, mocking twists of fate and the inability of the male characters to rise beyond the narrow constraints of their physical desires and spiritual poverty. It makes me weep everytime.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Tess of the D'Urbervilles
I never knew that such a tragic book could be written so beautifully. i am writing poetry based on it for my English coursework because of its brilliant imagery. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Beverly A. Barnes

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent
This book was written at the time of Hardy's descent into pessimistic literature, and since I heard that at the time, public controversy was caused by this book, I was quite... Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2003 by Phantasm

2.0 out of 5 stars The use of fate and coincidence is truly tiresome
I find this book truly repetitive and monotonous.The repeated use of coincidence to link the characters is tiresome and unbelievable. Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars A truly descriptive classic
I had to read this book for school and I found it suprisingly touching and moving.If you haven't read any Hardy I reccomend that you start now with this book.
Published on 15 Jan 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put this one down!
Everytime I picked up this book I wanted to scream to Tess to reveal to Angel her true self, because only then could her romance with him be the perfect one she so long sought... Read more
Published on 28 May 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Tragic force
'Tess' is a tragedy of sheer power - the reader at once becomes a companion to her plight and a friend in her solitude. Read more
Published on 8 Mar 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Companion Piece
I read this book soon after I had seen the A&E mini-series. Reading the book after watching the series gave me a better appreciation for the dialect(s) Hardy uses throughout... Read more
Published on 27 Sep 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars tess of the d'urbevilles is a beautiful tale of tragedy
Tess of the D'Urbevilles, by Thomas Hardy, is a wonderful novel, which tragically and poignantly follows the ill-fated life of its heroine, Tess Durbeyfield. Read more
Published on 21 Aug 1998

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