The calamities of the uneducated peasant amidst the Long Depression of the 1870s are enough to shock any 21st century reader. The calamities that Tess d'Urberville must face on the other hand, are exceedingly tragic - even to the other misfortunate characters in the novel. Tess grows up poor, misunderstood, and repressed. After moving away from home, she becomes debilitated and silenced after being raped by Alec d'Urberville despite her constant refusal of his attempts at flirting. She becomes pregnant with his child who falls ill and dies shortly after the birth. At this point in the novel, the amount of sorrow and heartache I feel for Tess is palpable, not only because of the terrible things that happen to her or that she has been subject to, but also because of her courageous ability to move on with life, unflinchingly. Tess is selfless to the core, there is no other choice in her mind but to carry on. She's also as loyal as any to the siblings that she has practically raised on her own and feels an immense obligation to provide for them no matter what her circumstance. The amazing thing about Hardy's stories is his ability to make you feel the characters' lowest of lows, the most degraded and lifeless they can feel, and then couple it with some of the most ethereal and beautiful moments no earth. To his point, such is life. 

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When Tess finds solace as a dairymaid on a dairy farm far from home, she falls in love with a wealthy man named Angel Clare. Their love affair transcends that of a typical romantic relationship. A not-so-subtle nod to the greats: Wordsworth, Milton, Shakespeare are all over the pages of this novel. But these moments are especially emphasized in the chapters at the dairy farm. Nature (with a capital N) is personified intensely through the couple's exchanges. Their love is intensely natural, celestial, and enchanting. Their relationship takes shape between subtle whispers, soft touches, smooth flowers, and silken light - all in the beautiful back garden. That's why when Angel leaves Tess after finding out about her misfortunes, it's all the more earth-shattering. He seeks rehabilitation in Brazil, leaving Tess devastated and yearning for her lover. The waiting, the wishing, the wanting reminds me of Jane Austen novels in the best way. It makes the inevitable meet-up all the more intensely satisfying. But not for long of course. Tess deals with her father's death and the abuse of Alec in the time that Angel is away. And once he returns, their love affair once again falls short as Tess kills Alec and is subsequently caught and executed at the end of the novel.

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If there's one takeaway from Hardy's novel, it's that the world provides Tess with one thing and one thing only: an unwavering indifference. 

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It's safe to say that I adored this novel. Tess is an extremely likeable character because it's almost impossible not to sympathize with her, given all the horrible tragedies that happen to her throughout her life. She's also extremely humble - never wanting to step on anyone's toes or ask for help, which makes her likeable to the reader, just as she is to all the characters that meet her in the novel. It seems as though the world has dealt Tess a very bad hand, one that seems not to be given to her through any one fault of her own. I found Tess relatable not through the terrible events or happenings that thwart her, but in the way that she chooses to carry herself through her tribulations, her thoughts, her movements. Not to mention, she is ever so charming. And although she does make one grave error at the end of the novel, its pity I feel for Tess d'Urberville, not contempt. 

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Definitely pick up this novel and cherish every page. The writing is and the plot is tragically brilliant.

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