Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Tess of the D'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy

17 reviews

alisonannk's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

nicnevin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I despised 99% of the characters but it was a good read. Tess deserved better

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

tmickey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Infidelity and Blood

ishrita's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Devastating portrait. While the book is a classic the lens of the author is refreshingly modern, he writes as an advocate for the protagonist as she is wronged by her own family, love and society. Wonderfully written female characters for the time its set in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Tess of the d'Urbervilles tells the story of a young woman whose father is an alcoholic farmer with a tendency to pass out drunk in the local pub. When he is told that he is a descendant of a landed family, his Durbyfield name a perversion of what was once d'Urberville, his willingness to work dwindles, and Tess, her mother, and her siblings become desperate to make up for his delusions of grandeur. Tess is sent to purported relations, another family who has claimed the d'Urberville name, and becomes the favorite of a young Alec d'Urberville. Their relationship is fraught and complicated and has tremendous effects on Tess's life. 

When she moves to a dairy farm to work as a milkmaid, she both intimidates and awes the other young women, who admire her beauty and fortitude. The same qualities entrance Angel Clare, a pastor's son who has decided not to pursue a career in the church, rather hoping to buy and run a farm of his own. This ill-fated love story takes one depressing turn after another, and it is difficult to read about the life of Tess, who is subject to countless double standards based on her sexuality and wealth.

This book has stunning descriptions of nature and rural life, and it is meaningful for its early criticism of the expectations of young women and their purity. However, I found it phenomenally boring until the completely surprising ending, which seemed to come out of nowhere, and to be honest, I didn't really buy the whole premise of the Durbyfields descending from the d'Urbervilles. I wasn't convinced by the peasant, and it frustrated me that everyone accepted this truth outright, which really threw off my enjoyment of the entire book. Frankly, it seemed like more of a plot device than anything, serving more to bring Tess and Alec together than to actually impact the character of our heroine, and I found this to be distracting and frustrating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

marcellaandherbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Rape

anaoliveira's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts