Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

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

16 reviews

elderflower's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt

more content warnings: sad ending

rafalovesreading's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I’m probably the weirdest person ever, but I read this in school and I LOVED IT. Literally my favourite book ever!!! The characters, although very annoying, were incredibly intriguing and truly made me have to think.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child death, Death, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

angelbabe_cj's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent

hannahr's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

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

debyik's review against another edition

challenging sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Not an uplifting book, but one that is true to life.

The main character has unpleasant things happen to her and now has to deal with the consequences of someone else's choice for the rest of her life.

This is a classic that teaches and entertains at the same time. There are some fun light-hearted chapters as well as the darker and sadder ones, but overall it showcases determination and survival. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Rape, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, and Suicide attempt