Synopses & Reviews
Published in association with the Orange Prize for fiction, with an introduction by Fugitive Pieces author Anne Michaels, describing why she chose it as the book she'd like to pass on to the next generation Tess is an innocent young girl until the day she goes to visit her rich "relatives," the D'Urbervilles. Her encounter with her manipulative cousin, Alec, leads her onto a path that is beset with suffering and betrayal. When she falls in love with another man, Angel Clare, Tess sees a potential escape from her past, but only if she can tell him her shameful secret.
Review
"Like the greatest characters in literature, Tess lives beyond the final pages of the book as a permanent citizen of the imagination . . . Tess is that rare creature in literature: goodness made interesting." —Irving Howe, author, World of Our Fathers
Review
"Has a lush sensuality about the heat of summer and the heat of lust which makes the gorgeousness of Hardy's heroine and his country of Wessex both seem utterly desirable as the tale of tragic fate unfolds." —Times
Synopsis
Thomas Hardy's second to last novel, Tess of the d'Urbervilles is the story of Teresa Tess Durbeyfield. The plot of the novel is set in motion when a local parson mentions that the Durbeyfields are actually related to the noble family the d'Urbervilles. Trying to capitalize on this knowledge the Durbeyfields send a reluctant Tess to work at the d'Urbervilles estate. There the tragic fate of Tess ensues. Tess of the d'Urbervilles challenged the sexual mores of the time and because of this was not well received when it was first published. The novel however has weathered the test of time and is now considered a great classic of English Literature.
Synopsis
Tess is an innocent young girl until the day she goes to visit her rich "relatives," the DUrbervilles, in hope that they might help her alleviate her own familys poverty. Her encounter with her manipulative cousin, Alec, leads her onto a path that is beset with suffering and betrayal. When she falls in love with another man, Angel Clare, Tess sees a potential escape from her past, but only if she can tell him her shameful secret.
About the Author
Thomas Hardy (18401928) is also the author of Far from the Madding Crowd and Jude the Obscure. Anne Michaels' novel Fugitive Pieces won several awards, including the Lannan Literary Award for Fiction, the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Guardian Fiction Award, and the Orange Prize for Fiction; and was made into a feature film. Her second novel, The Winter Vault, has been widely acclaimed. She lives in Toronto.