Tess Of The D'ubervilles

Hardy calls Tess `a pure woman', which she remains even after he seduction by a rich relative, her work as a diary maid, her romance and marriage with Angel Clare, her abandonment by her husband on the wedding night, her misfortunes and hardships which send her back to the arms of her seducer, the return of the repentant husband, her murder of the seducer in a fit of frustrated rage, and finally, her arrest and subsequent hanging. A malignant fate seems to pursue her right from the beginning; yet she remains loving, generous, and innocent, unaware of evil. Published in 1891, the novel created great controversy; while some found the story deeply moving, others found it pessimistic, disagreeable, and immorable. Tess, however, remains one of the most often read of Hardy's novels.