Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Book Guide, Author and Facts
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy — plot, author, genre and where to read, in one evergreen guide.
An intimate portrait of a woman, one of literature's most admirable and tragic heroines...Tess Durbeyfield knows what it is to work hard and expect little. But her life is about to veer from the path trod by her mother and grandmother. When her ne'er-do-well father learns that his family is the last of a long noble line, the d'Urbervilles, he sends Tess on a journey to meet her supposed kin—a journey that will see her victimized by lust, poverty, and hypocrisy. Shaped by an acute sense of social injustice and by a vision of human fate cosmic in scope, her story is a singular blending of harsh realism and poignant beauty. Thomas Hardy created in Tess not a standard Victorian heroine but a woman whose intense vitality shines against the bleak backdrop of a dying way of life. The novel shocked contemporary readers with its honesty and remains a timeless commentary on the human condition.
Quick facts about Tess of the d'Urbervilles
- Title: Tess of the d'Urbervilles
- Author: Thomas Hardy
- First published: 1707
- Genre: fiction, man-woman relationships, fiction, poor families, fiction
- OpenLibrary ID: OL44927W
Where to read Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy is widely available in print, ebook and audiobook editions from major retailers and libraries.
Compiled from public OpenLibrary data. Availability and details can change over time.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tess of the d'Urbervilles about?
An intimate portrait of a woman, one of literature's most admirable and tragic heroines...Tess Durbeyfield knows what it is to work hard and expect little.
Who wrote Tess of the d'Urbervilles?
Tess of the d'Urbervilles was written by Thomas Hardy.
When was Tess of the d'Urbervilles published?
Tess of the d'Urbervilles was first published in 1707.
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