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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
A rape; repeated coercion; execution at the novel's end
Language
Barely any
Mild period language
Sexual Content
A lot
Rape and sexual coercion are the novel's central events; described with restraint but clarity
Substance Use
Barely any
Some alcohol use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
A heroine destroyed by male violence and social cruelty; one of literature's most devastating portraits of injustice
What this book is about
Tess Durbeyfield, a beautiful young woman from a poor family, is raped by the wealthy Alec d'Urberville and bears his child, who dies. Despite her innocence and goodness, Victorian society offers her no forgiveness—not from Alec, not from Angel Clare who claims to love her but cannot accept her past. Hardy's indignant masterpiece is a savage critique of sexual double standards and Victorian hypocrisy, with one of literature's most devastating and angry conclusions.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Rape and sexual coercion
Death of an infant
A heroine destroyed by society
Execution
Reader Verification
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