Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
This is a tragic tale of a young woman named Tess who comes from a poor family in rural England. Tess is sent to work for a wealthy family, where she is seduced by a man who abandons her after she becomes pregnant. The baby dies, and Tess is ostracized by her community. She falls in love with a kind man, but when she confesses her past, he rejects her. Desperate and heartbroken, Tess murders her former seducer and is eventually captured and executed. The novel explores themes of fate, injustice, and the oppressive sexual morals of its time.
The 81st greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 2881
This book was first published in 1891
29 Lists
- score: 200 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time - 2007 (Weight: 200)
- score: 192 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 192)
- score: 168 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 168)
- score: 162 -- 30 Books Every Adult Should Read Before They Die - 2006 (Weight: 152)
- score: 154 -- The 100 Greatest British Novels - 2015 (Weight: 152)
- score: 128 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 128)
- score: 120 -- Best Books Ever - 2006 (Weight: 120)
- score: 120 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 120)
- score: 116 -- The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians - 1999 (Weight: 112)
- score: 112 -- Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time - 1993 (Weight: 112)
- score: 108 -- Landmarks of World Literature - 2012 (Weight: 108)
- score: 97 -- The Big Read - 2003 (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 100 Best Books - 2010 (Weight: 96)
- score: 92 -- Masterpieces of World Literature - 1991 (Weight: 92)
- score: 88 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users - 2008 (Weight: 88)
- score: 84 -- 110 Best Books: The Perfect Library - 2008 (Weight: 84)
- score: 83 -- Famous Authors Name Their Favorite Novels(from 1915) - 1915 (Weight: 128)
- score: 76 -- The Books You've Always Meant to Read - 2020 (Weight: 76)
- score: 72 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 72)
- score: 70 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 68)
- score: 69 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 68)
- score: 68 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 68)
- score: 68 -- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List - 2003 (Weight: 68)
- score: 68 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 68)
- score: 68 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 68)
- score: 60 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 52 -- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written - 1979 (Weight: 52)
- score: 43 -- Top 50 Books - 1997 (Weight: 40)
- score: 40 -- One Hundred Best Books (1916) - 1916 (Weight: 68)