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    Tess Of The D'Urbervilles
    Tess Of The D'Urbervilles
    Tess Of The D'Urbervilles
    Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

    Tess Of The D'Urbervilles

    Written by Thomas Hardy

    Narrated by Martin Shaw

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    This masterpiece is beautiful constructed. 1. A QUESTION OF ANCESTRY. Most of the elements of the novel are set in place. From the moment Parson Tringham suggests to Tess’s father that he may be descended from a noble family, Tess’s life changes. She meets Angel for the first time at the May dance, where, to her slight irritation, he dances with other girls, missing her out. The section ends when Tess’s negligence leads to the death of Price, the Durbeyfield horse - who is also the family’s breadwinner. Listen for the description of price’s of death and see how elsewhere in the novel-most notably in track 9, at Sandbourne - the image of blood comes up again and again. 2. AT TRANTRIDGE. Tess is persuaded by her family to go to Trantridge to find what they believe to be another branch of the family. Mrs Stoke d’Urberville offers work to Tess, who then encounters her seducer, Alec, for the first time. Hardy takes pains to point out that Alec is not related to Tess at all- his family merely acquired the d’Urberville name - a tragic irony in view of what is about to happen. 3. MAIDEN NO MORE. The seduction marks the end of a sustained campaign by Alec. The scene is full of power and pathos. Imagine ‘the darkness and the silence’ on The Chase that night with only the sound of Tess’s breathing as she lies there asleep in white muslin, the birds roosting in the trees above them. No wonder Hardy asks: ‘where was her guardian angel?’ 4. AT TALBOTHAYS. Back at Marlott, Tess gives birth to the slickly Sorrow. Pathetically, because of his illegitimacy, Tess has to christen him herself - watched by her sister ‘Liza-Lu and her other brothers and sisters - before he dies. Stifled at home and determined to make a new start, she takes a job as a milkmaid at Talbothays Dairy, where she meets Angel again. 5. HALCYON DAYS. Angel pursues Tess as earnestly as Alec did but in a more gentlemanly fashion. He kisses her for the first time and then proposes marriage. Aware of the effect knowledge of the past would have on him, Tess refuses. But as the section closes, she gives in to her need for a chance of happiness and in spite of her misgiving, she accepts him. 6. REVELATIONS. This is the centrepiece of the novel. Tess tries unsuccessfully to tell Angel of her past before the wedding but Angel brushes her aside. The marriage appears to be culmination of their love, but we are made aware that Tess’s period of happiness is about to come to a close. Only on their wedding night, after Angel has confessed to a short period of debauchery, can she tell her story. The story is observed from Angel’s point of view- and his reaction is made all the more sinister because we never hear it. He reacts by stoking the fire - a meaning act - before reply almost in monotone. He is unable to live with this revelation on her past, despite his own past sexual exploits. 7. FLASHBACK. Eight months later, Tess is penniless and is forced to search for Angel’s parents for assistance. On her way to Emminster, she finds Alec, now a preacher, addressing his throng in a country barn. He is stunned to see her and genuinely shocked to hear of her situation. He is also immediately attracted to her again. 8. ‘MAN AND WIFE’. Alec abandons preaching and wins Tess back with memorable, if chilling, words: ‘I was your master once! I will be your master again’. Angel, now in South America, at last rethinks his position and decides to return to England. Tess’s father dies, leaving her and the Durbeyfield family homeless. 9. THE FINAL RECKONING. Angel discovers Tess living with Alec at Sandbourne as man and wife. The image of blood reappears with the landlady see the red spot on her ceiling - the first sign that Tess has murdered Alec in the room above. She and Angel are briefly reunited at Stonehenge before their discovery by the police. She is tried and then hanged at Winchester Gaol as Angel, at Tess’s bequest walks away with ‘Liza-Lu.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe Copyright Group
    Release dateJan 1, 2014
    ISBN9781780003573
    Author

    Thomas Hardy

    Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in Dorchester, Dorset. He enrolled as a student in King’s College, London, but never felt at ease there, seeing himself as socially inferior. This preoccupation with society, particularly the declining rural society, featured heavily in Hardy’s novels, with many of his stories set in the fictional county of Wessex. Since his death in 1928, Hardy has been recognised as a significant poet, influencing The Movement poets in the 1950s and 1960s.

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    Reviews for Tess Of The D'Urbervilles

    4/5

    3,828 ratings133 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This was a very impressive story from the 19th century. Tess, the eldest daughter of the Durbeyfield family, had a bad way to go, because her parents, particularly her father, the alleged long-extinct former noble membership rose to head. She was as a young adult sent to approach as impoverished cousin a-bought d'Urbervilles, so her family could live decently. This d'Urbervilles showed very quickly its true face as a womanizer and arrogant man. Tess was 'raped' by him and returned to her family home where she gave birth to a child who died soon. In order not to give her family more grief and because she could not find work in her home village, she left to work as as milkmaids on a farm. There she met the pastor's son Angel Clare into whom she fell in love. But she knew she could never indulge him because of her past.Angel wanted to marry Tess. When they were married, Tess told him her past. He disowned her and walked away. Tess moved first back home but to not disgrace her family she moved away to earn her livelihood. She took every several work on even if it was so difficult. But she never stopped to love Angel. The arrogant d'Urbervilles crossed her path, trying to win her back. She refused, but he did not let loose. As Tess father died and she had now also to ensure the livelihood of the family and did not hear from Angel more, she agreed a liaison with him. Meanwhile came Angel home from overseas. When he learned that Tess still loved him, he began to look for her. When he found her, he realized that he was late. Tess in her despair and deep love for Angel, murdered d'Urbervilles. She searched Angel and spent happy days with him before the lawmen found her and she received her punishment.I liked how this story was written with much love for the characters. Even the rural life and the circumstances of the time are described in great details. Despite the great length of this book I have read it very quickly.
    • 4/5
      Hardy is an incredible writer (there's a scene of someone watching Tess as she works in the field, the sun hitting her face, that I remember to this day) but I'm troubled by how his brain works.
    • 4/5
      I read this novel many years ago, but I remember that it was very sad and it has stayed with me.
    • 5/5
      I first read this in high school and read it again "just because" when I was in college (or just out of college). I think I'll have to re-read it to give it any type of real review. Updated March 31, 2011I’ve read this classic twice before, so decided to listen to the audio version. Hardy tells the story of the young woman, Tess Derbyfield, whose father has recently been informed that he is descended from an old noble family – the d’Urbervilles. Her family being in difficult straits, her mother sends Tess to the d’Urbervilles in hopes that she will make a family connection and improve the family’s lot. What they don’t know is that the current d’Urbervilles are really Stokes … having adopted the d’Urberville name because it sounded good. Thus innocent Tess is set on a path that will lead to her destruction. She falls victim to lust, poverty and hypocrisy. Hardy makes it clear that Tess is not truly at fault, but also gives her a sense of guilt and pride that further hinder any efforts to better her circumstances. The tale must end tragically, given the times, Tess’s lack of education, her place in society, and that society’s mores; though the reader hopes for a happier outcome. Simon Vance does an admirable job performing this book. He has a resonant voice that is perfect for the narration, and is able to adopt various “voices” to differentiate the characters. I do not usually like to hear a man perform a woman’s voice, but Vance does a creditable job there, too. Hardy’s writing is beautiful and evocative. On completing Tess, Hardy, himself, wrote, “I have put in it the best of me.” I certainly can’t argue with that.
    • 4/5
      This has always been a favourite of mine. The social machinations that drive Tess are incredible and so solidly Victorian! Hardy is keen in his sense of detail and tells a very beautiful story here.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed reading this book but the ending was disconcerting. I know it serves the purpose of the novel but at the end, the characters ceased to feel like the characters I'd known and I found their decisions and movements…. I couldn't decide if I believed them or not. Excellent and though-provoking social commentary though.
    • 2/5
      I don't remember anything about this book. Evidently, it didn't do much with my imagination.
    • 4/5
      Tess of the d'Urbervilles has a reputation as a fantastically depressing and tragic book, and it's not undeserved. Thomas Hardy uses this story as a platform to express his deep skepticism and agnostic leanings; no wonder the outlook is bleak. The story centers on Tess Durbeyfield, a simple country girl in England during the 1880s. Her family, poor and somewhat lazy, nevertheless becomes proud and ambitious when they learn of their prestigious family history as the noble d'Urbervilles. Tess is packed off to try her fortune with another supposed (and richer) branch of the family, but soon falls prey to an unscrupulous "cousin," Alec d'Urberville. Her entire life is tainted by her d'Urberville descent, the selfishness of those around her, and (more indirectly) the rigid application of Christian morality then prevalent in Britain. This isn't a novel you read for its uplifting sentiments. Either Hardy's views were more strongly developed since the publication of his earlier works or he, emboldened by his literary success, now had fewer qualms about expressing his anger toward the God whom he believes is most likely not there. In any case, the doubt and questioning of God are much more pronounced in this novel than in either The Mayor of Casterbridge or Far From The Madding Crowd. As Tess's greatest advocate, Hardy argues that she would not be so miserable if it weren't for the "accepted social laws" regarding morality that her society forces upon her. He's mad at the Christian conception of God as a harsh taskmaster (as shown by the wandering man who paints biblical texts of judgment and hellfire on barns and fences). And yet at the same time, Hardy is mad at the Christian God for not being there to prevent great evils and make sure that human relations progress toward the best interest of each party. Hardy is a mass of contradictions. God is blamed for not intervening, but God is also blamed for how He has intervened. God is cruel; God should be different from what He is; God, in Hardy's opinion, has failed. And yet Hardy's writing is rich with biblical allusions and metaphors. He can never quite repudiate his early upbringing, but he has to replace God with something — and, like a true materialist, he settles on the deification of nature instead. Humankind is made to worship, and worship we will, even if we remove God from the picture. Hardy emphasizes natural law over moral law; over and over again he reminds us that Tess's troubles are not because she was raped, but because people hold to "arbitrary social customs" that have "no foundation in nature." Nature is freeing; society is restrictive. And Tess—a character clearly loved by her author—is pretty much an extension of the natural world. Hardy writes that country women, when they work in the fields, become a part of the natural landscape in a way that men can't. Hardy loves describing nature, and does so frequently. Rural life is somewhat romanticized (not entirely, though, especially with Flintcombe-Ash farm), while the cities are distant places of misery and evil. The happiest times of Tess's life are spent in isolation from or in very limited contact with society as a whole. The message is clear: nature is god, and society (and the Christian God) shouldn't be. As a Christian of a stamp that Hardy would probably dislike, I can't quite explain my appreciation and enjoyment of his work. He questions, casts doubt on, and sometimes even attacks my beliefs, and yet somehow he does not anger me. On the contrary, I feel a sort of indulgent pity for him. I hope that doesn't sound patronizing, because I certainly appreciate that he was wrestling with very hard things and I don't have pat, easy answers either. Maybe it's our very differences that have created my fascination with his work. I had trouble tearing myself away from this audiobook; I was thoroughly invested in Tess's story (and was, consequently, rather saddened when I reached its unhappy ending). Just last night I was at a library booksale and I swooped down upon a lesser-known Hardy title, The Trumpet-Major, with a sense of having snagged something good. For all that I dislike Hardy's pessimism and distaste for biblical Christianity, the man can write. And his books are works of art. The characters are so complex and realistic. Hardy has to force himself to do justice to Angel's parents, who are portrayed as strict and somewhat narrowminded Calvinist fundamentalists. For all his dislike of their beliefs, Hardy does manage to paint them realistically and even with charity — a gift that he says they possess to the full measure. Tess's parents, shiftless and passive spectators of their own lives, remind me of people I know. Alec d'Urberville is another well-rounded character, even in his role as the pursuing demon of Tess's life. Somehow I never could completely hate him, hateful as he was. I did think that the name "Angel" was rather unfortunate for the male protagonist (I hesitate to say "hero"). But as a character he's very sympathetic, even if his rigidity and double standards frustrate the reader. This audiobook was read by Stephen Thorne, who makes excellent work of it despite his limitations when it comes to voicing female characters. At times I was so eager to learn what happened next that I was tempted to pick up the printed book, but the excellence of Thorne's narration always won out and I patiently listened to all of it. I'm not sure Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a book I will ever revisit, so heartbreaking was its effect, but I feel richer for the experience of reading it. Though Hardy and I would never agree on things spiritual and moral, I've gained a greater appreciation for his attempts to show the problems of misapplied Christianity and to offer a different solution. He offers the wrong solution, but he does try.
    • 3/5
      I read this in college. I remember liking it pretty well at the time, but it did not make me a fan of Thomas Hardy, and since then my opinion of him--and especially his depiction of women--has soured considerably.
    • 4/5
      Prachtig, in de eerste plaats als smartelijk liefdesverhaal.Centrale figuur Tess is heel geloofwaardig uitgewerkt; bijna sotto voce.Naturalistisch accent in sociaal stigma, de erfelijke belasting en het noodlotsthema maar niet overdreven.Figuur van Angel is intrigerend, maar niet helemaal geloofwaardig (zijn sociaal nonconformisme vloekt met zijn verstoting van Tess om sociale redenen). Het einde (vooral het huwelijk van Angel met Liza Lie is heel ongeloofwaardig)Prachtige setting in agrarische Engeland in volle verandering (machines)
    • 5/5
      Tess was my first. This depressing and enchanting story of a woman in rural England struggling against 'a sea of troubles' was my introduction to Hardy, now my favorite author of fiction, through the excellent 2008 miniseries.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautifully written, tragic romance. Hardy's writing style is poetic and romantic. The characters are well written and well developed, especially the ethereal, sad main character of Tess.The writing style is truly beautiful, and the plot is as dramatic and sad as Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." This is a classic love story, my favorite romance ever.
    • 5/5
      It seems that people either love or hate Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Among those who hate it the main reasons for disliking it appear to be that the book was too dark and depressing, or that Tess was too passive and weak. Although I can understand these complaints, I personally fall into the group of readers who loved the book. I don't have a problem with a story being tragic, melodramatic or depressing as long as it's well-written. And Hardy's writing is beautiful. With other books I am often tempted to skim through pages of descriptions of trees, fields, sunrises etc, but Hardy's portrayal of nature and the English countryside is so poetic I wanted to read every word. Be prepared, though – you will learn more than you ever wanted to know about milking cows, threshing wheat and slicing turnips!The injustice of a society with different sets of rules for men and women, Christianity vs pagan symbolism, the Industrial Revolution, and the class system of Victorian England are some of the interesting topics this book covers. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the ending – the final chapters just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the novel.So, if you haven’t read this book yet give it a try – you might hate it...but you might just love it like I did.
    • 5/5
      It broke my heart, but I loved it.
    • 5/5
      Tess was my first. This depressing and enchanting story of a woman in rural England struggling against 'a sea of troubles' was my introduction to Hardy, now my favorite author of fiction, through the excellent 2008 miniseries.
    • 5/5
      My third visit to the lovely town of Dorchester and surrounding parts of Dorset and as a consequence, my third Thomas Hardy novel. Tess is a simultaneously heroic and tragic figure, in her relationships with two men Alec D'urberville, who seduces and by implication rapes her, and Angel Clare, whom she marries, loses and then regains. I found the ending quite sudden and shocking. There is also humour, especially in the early parts with the Durbeyfield family, Tess's parents keen to show themselves the lost but superior branch to the aristocratic D'urbevilles. As with other Hardy novels, there is a very good feel for the ebb and flow of rural life, farming and the seasons. This is not plot-driven like Mayor of Casterbridge, but is more tragic than the more similar Far from the Madding Crowd, and Tess's travails make a powerful impression on the reader.
    • 4/5
      This Classic is the tragedy of a young country girl/woman in Wessex during the 1870s who tries to make her way through the world with love and a sense of dignity, even as her world is corrupted by outside influences. There is plenty of fodder for literary criticism and discussion, but what cannot be rendered equivocal is the richness of the text and the vivid, painterly portrayals of the settings and characters. This edition contains endnotes that compare other MSS of the text (Hardy made revisions/redactions to accommodate himself and various publications, most notably Graphic in the latter case), as well as references to paintings that the author was influenced by; Biblical citations & notes and; song attributions... all of which are in equal measures tedious and/or enlightening.
    • 2/5
      Thoroughly depressing. If this is Victorian literature, I'll pass.
    • 3/5
      My sixth trip to Wessex with T-Hard, and I think maybe my last. My problem with this one is summed up by the subtitle ("a pure woman, faithfully presented"). Tess is lovely, pure, and dull. Like the two men who wreck her life — the irredeemable cad Alec and the morally constipated Angel — she just isn't a proper character at all. Instead, all three are ciphers for Hardy to work through his issues with industrialisation, organised religion, and sexual repression. The landscape writing is at its dreamiest here: the novel luxuriates lengthily in pastoral mode with dew-decked fields and mellow mists superabundant. To its credit, the hardscrabble side of rural life isn't entirely overlooked as Tess is forced to take work hoeing turnips and feeding a hellish steam-thresher as her fortunes worsen. And Tess herself is drawn more like a landscape than a person, Hardy's pen lingering on the contours of her lovely, pure, and faithfully presented — but strangely characterless — face. Jude the Obscure is similarly focused on Issues at the expense of character; despite the quality of the prose in Jude and in Tess I prefer the earlier Wessex novels which contain actual real plausible impure human beings.
    • 5/5
      Hardy’s books must be one of the reasons writers decide to write. You cannot call yourself a bookworm without reading on off his books. Tess made me cry, it made me angry but I was so enthralled by the story and the writing to see tears welling up in my eyes. I hated the ending but i can’t get everything I want in life.
    • 2/5
      Thomas Hardy is some kind of demented genius. He depicts the hypocrisy of gender stereotypes in Victorian society so vividly that you feel the acutest dread and misery as you read. It's about as pleasant as an annual pap smear. Or a root canal. I do not ever feel the need to read this book again. Tess is a pathetic, sweet, naive little flower, and the men are horrible. This was a miserable reading experience, and it does.not.let.up.
    • 4/5
      Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas HardyStory of a woman who is raised in the 1800's and does manual labor for her parents as a milk maid.She had once gone with others but one man refused to dance with her and he meets her again and she never forgets him.Loved learning the process of doing the job of milk maid, so much more than i ever realized. Skimming and then the milking.She is tortured being married to the Aristotle and really treasures everything she sees in Angel.Drastic changes when Angel returns.... summaries of other works by the author are listed at the end.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 4/5
      The book is beautifully written, so much so, I took off a star because it is all so sad. Tess, is a woman betrayed, and the full millstones of the gods descend on her. Do read it, and then try a cheer up routine. At first a bowdlerized version was a magazine serial in 1891...but if you had the money, you could buy the whole thing in three hardcover volumes in 1892.
    • 4/5
      Young dairymaid Tess Durbeyfield goes to work for a supposed cousin when her father learns that their family roots go back to the noble D’Urberville family. The degenerate son of the upstart modern D’Urbervilles rapes her. Some time later, she finds both work and love elsewhere, but can she truly move on from her past trauma? I knew from the start that this was going to be a downer, and yes, it turned out to be just as depressing as expected. I kept hoping for a happy ending for Tess, and it so nearly could have been. I got pretty irritated at Angel Clare, let me tell you. I can see how this work gained its classic status; the writing is lovely in spots (strewn with classical allusions that I didn’t always take the time to grasp, though) and the plot fairly compelling. Not one I’ll read again, but I’m glad I finally got around to it.
    • 4/5
      Hardy's sense of place and development of character excel, but the plot and the recriminating of Tess simply drag on for too long.Deciding to tell Angel about her deceit after their marriage felt false and deciding to murder Alec after she willingly joined him was untrue to her character.
    • 2/5
      Old language makes this hard to enjoy . Trying to appreciate English composition .
    • 1/5
      Depressing and morose.
      The story has potential but the main character needs some backbone.
    • 3/5
      With all the hype surrounding “Tess”, I had high hopes, though sadly my hopes weren’t realised.Somehow, it failed to hit the mark. I enjoyed parts rather than the novel as a whole. I prefer some of Hardy’s lesser-known tomes to this one. Can’t remember any specifics, unfortunately, as I’m reviewing this nearly six years after reading it, but as it’s Thomas Hardy, I’d like to give it a second read some time.
    • 4/5
      The slow tragedy of pure-hearted Tess as life slowly and it feels like inevitably results in her tragic demise.
    • 3/5
      Appalling ending. Brilliant book. But painful ending. Not a HEA thats for sure!