Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy’s thrilling story of seduction, murder, cruelty and betrayal * The Times *
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
Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles 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 seems utterly desirable as the tale of tragic fate unfolds * The Times *
Hardy never used his “country” and his Greek ambitions to better effect – Melvyn Bragg
Tess’s beauty and the effect that it has on others gave me a sense of the destructive power of sex – Rufus Wainwright
There’s something about Hardy especially that appeals to the melancholic girl – Belle de Jour

Thomas Hardy was born on 2 June 1840. His father was a stonemason. He was brought up near Dorchester and trained as an architect. In 1868 his work took him to St Juliot’s church in Cornwall where he met his wife-to-be, Emma.

His first novel, The Poor Man and the Lady, was rejected by publishers but Desperate Remedies was published in 1871. This was rapidly followed by Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), A Pair of Blue Eyes (1873) and Far from the Madding Crowd (1874).

He also wrote many other novels, poems, and short stories. Tess of the D’Urbervilles was published in 1891. His final novel was Jude the Obscure (1895).

Hardy was awarded the Order of Merit in 1920 and the gold medal of the Royal Society of Literature in 1912. His wife died in 1912 and he later married his secretary. Thomas Hardy died on 11 January 1928.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.