Thene’er-do-wellsireofastarvingbroodsuddenlydiscoversafamilyconnectiontothearistocracy,andhisselfishschemetocapitalizeontheirwealthsetsafatefulplotinmotion.JackDurbeyfielddispatcheshisgentledaughterTesstothehomeoftheirnoblekin,anticipatingalucrativematchbetweenthelovelygirlandatitledcousin.InnocentTessfindsthepathofthed’Urbervilleestatepavedwithruininthisgrippingtaleoftheinevitabilityoffateandthetragicnatureofexistence.SubtitledAPureWomanFaithfullyPresented,ThomasHardy’ssympatheticportraitofablamelessyoungwoman’sdestructionfirstappearedin1891.ItspowerfulindictmentofVictorianhypocrisy,alongwithitsunconventionalfocusontherurallowerclassanditsdirecttreatmentofsexualityandreligion,raisedaferociouspublicoutcry.TessoftheD’UbervillesisHardy’spenultimatenovel;thepressuresofcriticalinfamyshortlyafterwarddrovetheauthortoabandonthegenreinfavorofpoetry.Likehisfictionalheroine,theartistfellvictimtoarigidlyoppressivemoralcode.Today,TessisregardedasHardy’smasterpiece,embodyingallofthemostprofoundlymovingelementsofitscreator’sdarkvision.Noperspectiveon19th-centuryfictioniscompletewithoutaconsiderationofthiscompellingtale,nowavailableinaninexpensiveandhigh-qualityedition.
