Staff Pick
A masterpiece of Victorian tragedy, Jude is tortured, miserable, and doomed. But this beautiful novel is profoundly moving. The story is poignant and heart-wrenching, and the language is utterly gorgeous. Thomas Hardy is a peerless genius. Truly, absolutely, the best book I have ever read — you will cry! Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Recognized as one of Hardy's most important novels, "Jude the Obscure" is the sad story of love and sexual desire as dictated by the peculiar English matrixes of class and destiny in the Victorian 19th century. At its apex is the tragic Jude Fawley, a "simple" country boy whose aspirations to rise in class are thwarted and his love affair with a woman socially above him is a disaster.
About the Author
Rosellen Brown is the author of Half a Heart, The Autobiography of My Mother, Tender Mercies and Before and After. She lives in Chicago.