Tess of the d'Urbervilles

De: Thomas Hardy

Narrado por: Davina Porter

Tess Durbeyfield, a peasant girl and cast-off descendant of English aristocracy, has become one of the most famous female protagonists in 19th-century British literature. Betrayed by the two men in her life - Alec D’Urberville, her seducer/rapist and father of her fated child; and Angel, her intellectual and pious husband - Tess takes justice, and her own destiny, into her delicate hands. In telling her desperate and passionate story, Hardy brings Tess to life with an extraordinary vividness that makes her live in the heart of the reader long after the novel is concluded.

Public Domain (P)1994 Recorded Books, LLC

The Novel as a *Ball of Light in One's Hand*

As one reads Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel, it can be terribly tough to swallow the unremitting victimization of Tess, a poor but "pure" girl from a rural family. Hardy's theme calling on readers' sympathy for the female protagonist, while in many novels would be a glaring weakness, is by novel's end its supreme strength. I cannot think of another novel that comes close to the power and effectiveness in its scathing indictment of men's exploitation of poor women in Victorian society as does "Tess of the D'Urbervilles."

The novel was reportedly scandalous at publication due to its empathetic treatment of a "disgraced" woman. Truth hurts most. Hardy slammed home the absurdity of existing Victorian mores whereby exploited women of poverty were deemed at fault for their sexual and economic exploitation and for their impoverishment. In this way, Tess is the type of book Ezra Pound referred to as "a ball of light in one's hand"--hoisted with the exclamation, Shame on You and Stop the Absurdity!

I hold a special place in my literary heart for such fearless, forceful and arresting attacks over the ages on arrogant, affluential a-holes.

In the story, poor Tess is mercilessly manipulated by two men. First, Alec D'Urberville, a citified cad, rapes and impregnates her on her first job (and, much later, fraudulently seduces her). Then she moves away to work on another farm where she is heavily romanced by and falls in love with Angel Clare who quixotically envisions Tess as a pure and heavenly female who he likens to Demeter, the Greek goddess of fertility. The idealistic character of Clare's expectations renders him unable to forgive Tess for not being a virgin when they married, and causes him to abandon her.

By no accounts is Tess's story uplifting. History shows however that Hardy's most-read novel was a necessary ball of light and one of the most paradigmatic, kick-butt social novels ever.

One of the best books ever

Just couldn't leave the device I was listening with. Enchanting. Very interesting times and a fantastic performance!

Davina Porter

Davina Porter is brilliant in this production of Tess of the d’Urbervilles! I highly recommend this audiobook. Davina Porter also narrates the Outlander series in which she does an amazing job!

too slow for me

Would you try another book from Thomas Hardy and/or Davina Porter?

I did get through this book and it was much better at the very end. but would not recommend it. Would be so much better if shortened.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed the book and the insight into those English times. I did think that the narrator made Tess sound like a simpleton and found myself repeating the lines in my head in order to make her seem intelligent.

Classic Thomas Hardy

The tragic story of Tess breaks your heart but is so well written, you can’t stop listening. The narrator is so good. Highly recommended!

Just a quick comment on the narration

Davina Porter's narration is pretty good, though Tess starts with and retains a much more refined manner of speech than the other women who have been brought up in her same situation. These other women are narrated with a rustic rural sort of form of speech, while Tess (even before her association with Mr. Clare) has a gentle, refined way of speaking.

But the main thing that prompted me to write this review was that the pause between chapters is beyond unnecessarily long. Almost every time I would check to make sure my device hadn't stopped or gone dead for some reason. The pause is easily more than three times as long as the pause between chapters of any other book I have listened to. Given that this book has more than fifty chapters, you sort of get used to it, but it still tends to pull you out of the book when it happens.

Hardy knows Misery !

I love Thomas Hardy and yet this story was often so sad and difficult to read . Poor Tess experienced such a grueling life. I started reading Hardy in my teens. Now 61 , I still love his books but this one was a "kicker". Tess endured such tragedy- what did Thomas Hardy want from this character !!! Still great and memorable.

immerse yourself in history

lovely but hard for 21st century women to hear. the narration transports you to 19th century England.

A Classic

It a beautiful classic. Initially it felt very "dated" but I really enjoyed the context of the social realities of the time.After awhile I could not stop listening. It is a heartbreaking story and Hardy was really brilliant in its telling. I will probably read more Harding.