Tess Of The D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Ros

In this 1891 book, a poor young woman discovers she may be descended from nobility and goes in search of a better life

❚ “Tess Durbeyfield is a complex character considered by some a hopeless victim and by others an archetype of feminine strength. Either way her actions and those forced upon her can make or break readers in their attachment to her and the book in general. We felt these conflicting emotions too in bookclub. 

“Tess is the eldest of seven children with peddlers for parents. News that they may be descendants of nobility causes her parents to send Tess off to the D’Urberville Estate in hope of financial aid. Herein begins a spate of ill-fortunes.

“She is betrayed by religion, by social conventions of the time and by men who exploit her. Her virtue is destroyed and her life is shaped by continual suffering for crimes that are not her own. She is cast out by a morally hypocritical society but remains hardworking and steadfast under adversity. It is hard not to feel anguish and frustration at the unfairness of her life.

“We learned that at the time of the book’s release the author’s depiction of sex, criticism of religion and dark pessimism was heavily criticised. However modern critiques praise the novel as a courageous righting of many of the ills Hardy found in Victorian society.

A strong woman who recklessly throws away her strength, she is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw away.

“Like many readers before us we too were torn between sympathy for Tess but also frustration at her being typecast as the ultimate victim. Every turn of events was bleak and frustrating and a bit of a downer. It didn’t feel like she had feminine strength because nothing ended up going her way, she didn’t get results for her good qualities. However she makes for a fascinating character study and kind of lived beyond the page. She is the reason for reading this book – if you can bear it.”

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Published 1891
McIlvanie & Co
592 pages