Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Name: Tess of the d'Urbervilles
ISBN: 9787532759187

Thomas HardyShanghai Translation Publishing House · ChinaFeb 2017

4.4

Word count: 314K words
Chapters: 11
ISBN: 9787532759187

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Summary

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was a master of the English novel and a major poet. Tess of the d'Urbervilles is his most famous novel. The poor and beautiful heroine Tess, in her youthful innocence, is seduced by the wealthy scoundrel Alec; she endures mental and material suffering and thereby loses the man she truly loves, Clare, and in the end, in grief and despair, kills Alec and calmly goes to the gallows. The great charm and strength of humanity and spirit in Tess make her one of the most moving female characters in literature, while Hardy, through the tragic, short life of the pure and beautiful Tess, gives full expression to his deeply ingrained sense of tragic fate and his broad, profound humanistic compassion. This volume includes more than thirty fine woodcut illustrations created for the novel by the renowned British illustrator Agnes Miller Parker, making it highly collectible.

Editor's review

Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a profound masterpiece of enduring tragic power; it is not merely a story of individual fate but a sharp critique of Victorian social morality, class prejudice, and gender injustice. This translation, published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House, is often praised by readers and scholars for its accurate and evocative rendering of Hardy's terse, poetic prose and the rich English rural atmosphere of the original. Hardy's Tess Durbeyfield is far more than a simple victimized girl: she is pure, resilient, and willing to bear the consequences of her choices, yet is repeatedly driven toward destruction by social custom and hypocritical morality. The novel's greatness lies in how it transcends its era, leading readers to sympathize with Tess while constantly asking who holds the power to define "purity" and "sin." Reading this book offers not only Hardy's epic depiction of the Wessex landscape as a regional novelist but also his profound philosophical inquiry—as a pioneering thinker—into fate, free will, and social determinism. For anyone seeking to understand the heights of nineteenth-century English literary realism and the eternal conflict between human nature and institutions, Tess is an essential classic.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Victorian English society and literature
Literature lovers who wish to read a classic tragedy exploring fate and human nature
Readers approaching the work from feminist literary or social-critical perspectives
Readers who appreciate beautiful, delicate, and vividly visual descriptions of nature

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light, entertaining reading with a happy ending
Readers impatient with a relatively slow pace and narrative rich in environmental description

Reading tips

While reading, pay attention to Hardy's descriptions of nature; they often serve as metaphors and symbols of his characters' states of mind and fates.
It is helpful to understand characters' behavior and circumstances against the social and historical background of the Victorian era for a deeper reading experience.
As you read Tess's tragedy, consider the complex relationship between personal choice and social pressure—a theme that remains relevant today.

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

版权信息
译本序
第一版说明
第五版及以后各版的前言
第一章处女
第二章不再是处女
第三章重新振作
第四章后果
第五章女人付出代价
第六章改邪归正的人
第七章结局

FAQ

What is the theme of Tess of the d'Urbervilles?

The novel's core themes are fate, social injustice, and moral hypocrisy. Through Tess's tragedy, it critiques the rigid Victorian social hierarchy, the sexual double standard, and the oppression of individuals—especially women.

Why is Tess considered an important female character in literary history?

Tess is a complex and contradictory character: pure yet deemed "fallen," submissive yet implicitly rebellious. She challenges the narrow contemporary definition of female "purity," and her image has prompted later generations to reexamine the moral shackles society imposes on women.

How is Thomas Hardy's writing style reflected in this book?

Hardy's style is known for detailed realist depiction and a fatalistic sense of tragedy. In Tess, he employs abundant symbolism, closely linking his characters' fates to the Wessex countryside; his language is both plain and poetic, creating intense dramatic tension and emotional impact.

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About the author

Thomas Hardy Author · English · 1840–1928

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. Born in the Dorset countryside, he trained as an architect before turning to literature. His novels are mostly set in the fictional region of Wessex and portray men and women struggling between passion and social circumstance, in a sombre style rich in local colour. His major works include Far from the Madding Crowd, The Return of the Native, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure; the last two aroused controversy for touching on sensitive questions of marriage and morality. In later life he turned to poetry, publishing volumes such as Wessex Poems. Hardy's works are classics of foreign literature and world literature, and have had a lasting influence on later English fiction.