Tess of the d'Urbevilles

Having never read Hardy before and knowing that he was a respected writer of his time, now considered a classic, I wanted to find out why. I chose Tess of the d'Urbevilles because the plot appeared intriguing and I burned to know how the story ended. It is a hefty read at 460+ pages but oh is it ever worth it! This novel has the ability to move the most closed up person from the roots of their being. The touching details of love, the internal suffering of the characters, and the tragic consequences are so intricately woven into the reader's mind that they become a part of oneself.

Tess Durbeyfield is a young farm girl who learns that her family is a descendant of a noble knight lineage called d'Urbevilles. For lack of money, her parents send her to their relative's house to work in the garden. Little did they know that Alec D'Urbvilles would lure her into his trap and that her life would be forever changed with that decision. Although he was handsome and showed affection for Tess, he was also short fused and naturally sought danger. His forceful persistence made Tess uncomfortable and she couldn't bring herself to love him.

Shame forces Tess out of her hometown and into a dairy farm where she meets Angel Clare. Here they fall in love but Tess keeps her secret from him, even on the wedding day, for fear she would lose him. When she finally opens up to him, Angel is shaken by the deception and decides to leave. He didn't know then that his escape would bring him more sorrow and she didn't know that he still loved her. Long time passes before their reunion, bringing along consequences that are both tragic and beautiful.

After reading the novel, I couldn't help but think that there may be people out there who live their entire lives with physical, emotional, and/or mental pain. That their life has no purpose while they are alive. That only after they are gone, life suddenly has a new meaning for the people around them. How wretchedly unfair and wasteful it is, to lose life in order to find a new one!