Tess of the D'Urbervilles

The novel tells the tragic story of Tess Durbeyfield, a beautiful, innocent, and poor peasant girl in rural England. When her impoverished family discovers a distant connection to the once-noble D'Urberville family, Tess is sent to seek a portion of their fortune, where she meets her 'cousin' Alec D'Urberville, which results in her seduction and subsequent downfall and the birth of a child who soon dies. Later, working as a dairymaid, she meets and marries Angel Clare, an idealistic man who rejects Tess on their wedding night after she reveals her past. Emotionally and financially bereft, Tess is eventually compelled to return to Alec, but when Angel has a change of heart and returns to find her, Tess murders Alec in a fit of despair. She is arrested and executed. The book is subtitled 'A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented' and serves as a powerful critique of Victorian sexual morality and the double standards imposed on women.

Store Availability