Tess of the d’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

About the book

Tess of the D'Urbervilles is probably Thomas Hardy's most famous novel. Set in the West of England, in a beautifully described rural landscape, it tells the tragic story of Tess Durbeyfield, an innocent village girl who is seduced by a wealthy rake, Alec D'Urberville. Because she does not love him, she does not even attempt to make him marry her, but returns to her home village pregnant and disgraced in the eyes of the local community. The baby dies in infancy, and after regaining her emotional strength, Tess goes to work as a milkmaid in a different valley. Here she meets the true love of her life, Angel Clare, but even though he loves her too, they are unable to escape from the consequences of her past. One of the great Classics of Nineteenth Century literature, Tess of the D'Urbervilles recounts an unforgettably powerful tragedy.