Title: Jude the Obscure

Author: Thomas Hardy

Genre: Classic Literature

Publisher: Penguin Classics   

Format: Paperback    

Pages: 484

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis (Goodreads):

‘I’m an outsider to the end of my days!’

Jude Fawley’s hopes of a university education are lost when he is trapped into marrying the earthy Arabella, who later abandons him. Moving to the town of Christminster where he finds work as a stonemason, Jude meets and falls in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead, a sensitive, freethinking ‘New Woman’. Refusing to marry merely for the sake of religious convention, Jude and Sue decide instead to live together, but they are shunned by society and poverty soon threatens to ruin them. Jude the Obscure, Hardy’s last novel, caused a public furor when it was first published, with its fearless and challenging exploration of class and sexual relationships.

Review:

This book brought forth all kinds of emotions! What an amazing book!

The book follows the main character, Jude, as he figures out what he wants to do with his life. He is a smart young boy, who dreams of going to Christminister to the college. He asks his old schoolmaster to send him Latin and Greek Grammar books, and he teaches himself to read in these languages, while helping his aunt run her bakery. Jude realizes that he needs to save money to go to school, so he begins an apprenticeship as a stonemason.

Unfortunately, a number of things happens that prevent him from going to the college he dreams of. For one, he is too poor. Second, he marries a lowly country girl that he doesn’t have anything in common with. This is where is see his downward spiral start. The one scene that shows that they aren’t meant to be is when she throws his books on the floor with her greasy hands. Oh boy, I would lose my mind if someone did that to my books!😱😱

In all seriousness, this book does an excellent job of highlighting class relations in the late 19th century, and depicts a young man trying to find happiness and fulfillment in his life! I loved the character, Sue, as she is depicted as a modern girl for liking to read and learn. She also is an interesting character in that she marries a man, but doesn’t want to actually live as husband and wife. Her and Jude are cousins, and they fall in love, but many things prevent their happiness. This book shocked me in a number of ways, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this classic!

Happy reading bookworms!