Book Quote of the Day

“Tis because we be on a blighted star, and not a sound one, isn’t it Tess?”

- Abraham, Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Book review: Tess of the d’Urbervilles

I have just read “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy. I have never read it before now, and not even studied it at school like some people have, so i thought it was time to give it a go!

Tess of the d’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy (via Amazon)

I felt sad for Tess because, as the oldest daughter, she was inevitably going to be forced to make a good marriage to help support her big family. The issue of finding out that she was probably a descendant of the once rich and noble d’Urbervilles turns out to be a blessing and a curse. This poor girl is forced to beg for help from her distant relations with the d’Urberville and starts working for an old blind woman and her son. The son is a little creepy and doesn’t leave Tess alone, and this inevitably leads to him raping her. She returns to her family and home after this, but her life has changed so hugely that it will never be the same again.

She suffers many hardships, but becomes very independent, earning her way by any means necessary in the countryside where she is comfortable. She makes friends and enemies but manages to keep herself going. She gains much attention from men, despite her efforts to keep a distance. She meets one charming young man who wants her for his wife but she refuses again and again, knowing that her secret will destroy her and those near her.

The ending of the book was a bit disappointing, after all the events which happen through it, and i was annoyed that it finished so abruptly.

Tess goes from being a figure of beauty and innocence, to a figure of pity and hardship, to a figure of pathetic, self-pitying, glutton for punishment, and finally to a figure of revenge and (short-lived) happiness.

I give this book 7/10 for being a classic tale, with a fascinating protagonist who covers so much ground, and deals with many issues. Worth reading at least once!

Note: I read this on my Kindle (as it is a free ebook).

Book quote of the day

“Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken.” 
― Jane Austen, Emma

Book Review: Little Women

I’ve just finished reading “Little Women” by Lousia May Alcott!

Little Women – Louisa May Alcott (via Amazon)

I was actually surprised that i liked it, i thought it would be another awful story about girls trying to find a husband or something, but it’s actually rather good! I was a little surprised (and a bit naïve!) because i thought it was set in England. How wrong i was! The language and descriptions felt more English than American i thought, but never mind!

Anyway, although at first i didn’t like some of the characters very much – i thought Amy was a spoilt, selfish brat! – they started to grow on me and i genuinely cared what happened to them.

I have to admit a few of the events which happened in the book were already ruined for me because i previously watched the Friends episode where Joey and Rachel discuss “Little Women” and they gave away spoilers! (For reference, it was “The One where Monica and Richard are Just Friends”) So i was obviously wanting to know how these things come about and they happen in a way which makes me feel that i didn’t really lose anything from already knowing what was coming! However, watching that did make me want to read the book anyway!

I really like how the four sisters are so different yet so close. The arguments they have don’t last very long and they all really care about each other. When sickness and death happens, the characters all have their own ways of coping with the tragedy, and it’s lovely to see how they make sure no-one will forget the one who was lost. I really hate it when a key character is killed off!

Jo became my favourite sister, because she is the tomboyish one, who loves adventures and writing. She was determined that she wouldn’t marry or anything but i had a feeling that maybe that wouldn’t last! Her story is more interesting than the others, as she goes through more trials and tribulations than anyone else, and struggles to find her place in the world. Her happy ending is as pleasant as you would hope.

I give this book a great 9/10 because it’s really well written and keeps you reading on to find out what happens next! I’m really glad i read this book, and wish i’d read it sooner, but i’ll definitely be reading it again! Possibly my new favourite classic!

Book Review: Sense and Sensibility

Image via Wikipedia

I have finally finished reading “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen, having spent the last 9 days trying to get through it.

I discovered that my mum has the complete collection of Jane Austen’s works so i decided, because i have only read “Pride and Prejudice” (and that was a while ago and i know it better from seeing the Keira Knightley film version), that i would attempt to read all her books, starting with “Sense and Sensibility”.

I wasn’t sure whether i could write a book review on Jane Austen’s works as it’s a classic and you can’t say much more about it that people don’t already know, so i thought i would just share my thoughts on reading it (a warning for those of you who haven’t read it, there are spoilers!):

1) I wanted to shake Marianne at times because she is just so young and foolish, and not refine and controlled like her sister Elinor.

2) Willoughby? What a plonker!

3) The whole Edward-is-engaged-to-one-woman-and-is-disowned-by-everyone-and-then-suddenly-is-no-longer-supposedly-married-to-her-and-is-now-free-to-marry-Elinor thing just seems a little ridiculous: i was convinced that Edward was off the market for good and that Elinor was going to end up alone or with someone else as it was only in the penultimate chapter that everything suddenly changed. It’s like Austen decided to give Elinor a second chance and killed off Edward’s seemingly concrete prior engagement to someone he seemed to love for someone he didn’t seem to love. Very confusing.

4) I thought Elinor would end up with Colonel Brandon, not her sister.

5) Having not read a novel with this sort of old-language and grammar for a good few years, it was difficult to get my head back into reading it, but it was oddly refreshing to read something so different to modern novels, proof of its status as a classic.

6) It makes you think just how different today’s society is to that in the book, with the women being all elegant, prim, and proper, and how the things they consider immoral are almost commonplace and widely acceptable in our own society. Maybe the world would be a better place if we had the threat of being disinherited and ostracised by the rest of society if we committed these “crimes”?

7) After literally forcing myself to read it (and having little else to do while my internet was playing up this afternoon), i am glad i can say i read it, but i doubt i would read it again because it really isn’t my thing at all!

That said, i’m still going to read the rest of Austen’s novels, although maybe not in quick succession as this one took so much effort to focus on it!

Can i give it a mark out of 10? Because its a classic, i can’t, although it is well written and it has some unexpected twists in the plot, it did my head in a bit because its not really my genre of book!