Tess of the D'Ubervilles

by Harold Bloom

-- Presents the most important 20th-century criticism on major works from The Odyssey through modern literature
-- The critical essays reflect a variety of schools of criticism
-- Contains critical biographies, notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index

Genres: Classics

Paperback

Published August 2, 1999

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Tabita C]

O carte care te ține prezent. Mereu. Cu fiecare pas al protagonistei. Atât de tristă, atât de captivantă, totuși. Cu imagini atât de realiste...
M-a făcut să trăiesc acolo, alături de Tess, în zbuciumările ei, în neștiința ei, în mustrările ei, în vinovăție, în iubire, în lupta dintre a spune adevărul și a trăi în minciună...
O carte ce te face să meditezi la multe lucruri.
Cine le spune fetelor ca Tess că nu ele sunt de vină? Că nu ele trebuie să fie pedepsite pentru nesocotința altora?... Că pot avea o viață mai bună?... Cine le învață să se ferească de anumite circumstanțe și oameni? Cine?!...
Mi-a părut rău după ea, ca și cum aș fi cunoscut-o. Nu ca după un personaj fictiv. Ci ca după o ființă umană.
Un roman atât de dureros și, din păcate, atât de sincer...

[Destiny Obasun]

This was a beautiful but difficult book to read. Tess’s story is heartbreaking, and I found myself thinking about how unfairly she was treated and how much she had to endure because of the choices and actions of other people.

What stood out to me most was the way the story explores love, guilt, social expectations, and double standards. Tess feels like a very human character, and her struggles made the story feel much more personal than I expected.

The older style of writing took some getting used to, and there were moments when the pacing felt slow. Still, the emotional weight of the story and the questions it raises made it worth reading.

A sad, powerful classic that stayed with me after I finished it.

[Sara Hosey]

It's a classic and there was much to love here. It's an important reminder of how some things have changed (for the better), but also of how, sadly, a lot of double-standards and hypocrisies remain.

[Elise]

So extremely boring. To be fair, I don't really know how to read and understand older English, so maybe those who can will enjoy it. But I felt 0 attachment to the main character. I marked it as unfinished because I'm 90% sure I finished it but don't remember the ending.

[Patty]

I read this a part of a reading challenge. Glad I have it off my list.

[Kathy Weyer]

I got about halfway through this when I just got tired. I mean, how much can one woman endure?

[Madelle]

This old classic was a somewhat familiar story but difficult to read with many words unfamiliar to me and a dialogue that was sometimes difficult to follow.

[Jenna Cox]

one of my favorites besides the fact that I can hardly pronounce the title

[Thompson]

Why do I torture myself by reading Victorian novels?

[Christine]

A most beautiful story, but so so sad.