Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas HardyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Tess of the D'urbervilles is truly one of the masterpieces of 19th century English literature. Thomas Hardy's writing is simply brilliant, and poignant.
Thomas Hardy imagines a new way of being for British society. One that is not so hung up on narrow social conventions, one where people are rewarded for hard work and positive moral attributes.
SPOILERS BELOW!
Tess is supposed to be the embodiment of this new society as it comes into being, but runs into trouble at every step of the way in her development. Her parents do not work as hard as she does, she is cruelly seduced, her baby is cruelly denied a Christian burial, even her true love Angel Claire rejects her because of her past and the narrow social conventions he has been brought up with. And in the end, she dies, a Christ figure for Hardy's new society, with Angel and her sister "apostles." The ending is even slightly ambiguous...What will Angel and Liza Lu do? Will they advance Hardy's new society?
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