Jude the Obscure (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)

by Thomas Hardy

Overview

In Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy weaves a complex narrative around Jude Fawley's aspirations and struggles. From his humble beginnings with dreams of academia to a tumultuous personal life marked by a hasty marriage, Hardy plunges Jude into a series of romantic entanglements and societal condemnations that challenge his ideals and desires. The novel navigates through themes of love, social ostracism, and the rigid constraints of Victorian society, leaving readers pondering the costs of convention and the pursuit of personal fulfillment.

Jude the Obscure delves into the harsh realities of Victorian England, critiquing institutions like marriage, religion, and education through the life of Jude Fawley. Hardy's narrative reflects his personal struggles with class and education, paralleling Jude's unattainable academic dreams. The novel's stark portrayal of societal constraints and personal tragedies presents a compelling argument against the oppressive norms of the time, making it a significant piece in the canon of English literature.

This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781778783319
Publisher:	Royal Classics
Publication date:	04/09/2024
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 - 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, especially William Wordsworth. He was highly critical of much in Victorian society, especially on the declining status of rural people in Britain, such as those from his native South West England. While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and regarded himself primarily as a poet, his first collection was not published until 1898. Initially, therefore, he gained fame as the author of such novels as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895). During his lifetime, Hardy's poetry was acclaimed by younger poets (particularly the Georgians) who viewed him as a mentor. After his death his poems were lauded by Ezra Pound, W. H. Auden and Philip Larkin. Many of his novels concern tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances, and they are often set in the semi-fictional region of Wessex; initially based on the medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Hardy's Wessex eventually came to include the counties of Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Hampshire and much of Berkshire, in southwest and south central England. Two of his novels, Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd, were listed in the top 50 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.

Date of Birth:

June 2, 1840

Date of Death:

January 11, 1928

Place of Birth:

Higher Brockhampon, Dorset, England

Place of Death:

Max Gate, Dorchester, England

Education:

Served as apprentice to architect James Hicks