Books with title Jude the Obscure:

Thomas Hardy’s final literary masterpiece, Jude the Obscure is the story of Jude Fawley, a poor stonemason living in rural Wessex, whose dreams of becoming a scholar are complicated by an ill-fated romance with his spirited cousin, Sue Bridehead. Jude and Sue’s attempts to defy social conventions for the sake of their love lead to misery, heartache and tragedy. Greatly concerned with the destructive rules of marriage, the novel openly criticizes Victorian society, religion and education, and modern critics hail Jude the Obscure as a pioneering work of feminism and socialist thought.Jude the Obscure scandalised critics upon its publication in 1895, leading to Hardy’s decision to only produce poetry and drama for the rest of his writing life. It has been adapted twice for film, and remains one of Hardy’s most widely-read novels.HarperPerennialClassics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

This edition incorporates an original introduction from Moorside Press, including a biography, a critical discussion of Hardy's place in the history of British Literature and a short contextual discussion of the book.Published in 1895 initially in serial form, Jude the Obscure was the eleventh of Hardy's novels to go into print, but the last he wrote. The plot details the trials and tribulations of the eponymous character, Jude Fawley, a penniless orphan who is never the less intelligent and ambitious. Yet for each step he takes forward, seeking to fulfil his ambitions for learning and for love, he is beaten back by a society that says it has no place available to him.Jude is in some respects a companion piece to Tess, both characters hounded from this life by social and institutional mores with scarcely any apparent sympathy from the author for their wellbeing or for the hearts of the readers. While resolution is achievable in both books, satisfaction or a sense of a justified conclusion are not. In Jude, Hardy saved his biggest punches for the church and for marriage, two of the principal institutions upon which Victorian Britain was built upon, and he couldn't have been surprised when that society retaliated. In one instance, the book was publically burned by a leading Bishop for its attacks on the church. Following the criticism, Hardy made the decision to end his novel writing and concentrate instead on his poetry.

Powerful and controversial from its 1895 publication to the present, Jude the Obscure scandalized Victorian critics, who condemned it as decadent, indecent, and degenerate. Between its frank portrayals of sexuality and its indictments of marriage, religion, and England's class system, the novel offended a broad swath of readers. Its heated reception led the embittered author to renounce fiction, turning his considerable talents ever afterward to writing poetry.Hardy's last novel depicts a changing world, where a poor stonemason can aspire to a university education and a higher place in society—but where in reality such dreams remain unattainable. Thwarted at every turn, Jude Hawley abandons his hopes, is trapped into an unwise marriage, and pursues a doomed relationship with his free-spirited cousin, Sue Bridehead. The lovers find themselves equally incapable of living within the conventions of their era and of transcending its legal and moral strictures. Hailed by modern critics as a pioneering work of feminism and socialist thought, Hardy's tragic parable continues to resonate with readers.

Jude the Obscure, the last of Thomas Hardy's novels, began as a magazine serial and was first published in book form in 1895. Its hero, Jude Fawley, is a working-class young man who dreams of becoming a scholar. The other main character is his cousin, Sue Bridehead, who is also his central love interest. The themes in the novel revolve around issues of class, education, religion and marriage.

&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&RJude the Obscure&&L/I&&R, by &&LB&&RThomas Hardy&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R&&LI&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&RNew introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences―biographical, historical, and literary―to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&RVirginia Woolf called him “the greatest tragic writer among English novelists,” but &&LSTRONG&&RThomas Hardy&&L/B&&R was so distressed by the shocked outrage that greeted &&LI&&RJude the Obscure&&L/I&&R in 1895 that he decided to quit writing novels. For in telling the story of Jude Fawley, whose many attempts to rise above his class are crushed by society or the forces of nature, Hardy had attacked Victorian society’s most cherished institutions―marriage, social class, religion, and higher education. &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&RA poor villager, Jude Fawley longs to study at the elite University of Christminster, but his ambitions are thwarted by class prejudice―and an earthy country girl who tricks him into marriage by pretending to be pregnant. Entrapped in a loveless marriage, he becomes a stonemason and falls in love with his cousin―the intellectual, free-spirited Sue Bridehead, who is also unhappy in marriage. Sue leaves her husband to live with Jude and eventually bears his children out of wedlock. Their poverty and the weight of society’s disapproval begin to take their toll on the couple, forcing them into a shattering downward spiral that ends in one of the most shocking scenes in all of literature.&&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&RA stunning masterpiece, &&LI&&RJude the Obscure&&L/I&&R is Hardy’s bleakest and most personal novel.&&L/P&&R&&LP&&R&&LB&&RAmy M. King&&L/B&&R is an Assistant Professor of Literature at the California Institute of Technology, and the author of &&LI&&RBloom: The Botanical Vernacular in the English Novel&&L/I&&R, forthcoming from Oxford University Press. She is also the author of articles on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British literature and culture, and has taught widely in the English novel at Haverford College and Caltech. King received her doctorate in 1998 from Harvard University in English and American Literature and Language. &&L/P&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R

• The book includes 10 unique illustrations that are relevant to its content.Hardy's masterpiece traces a poor stonemason's ill-fated romance with his free-spirited cousin. No Victorian institution is spared — marriage, religion, education — and the outrage following publication led the embittered author to renounce fiction. Modern critics hail this novel as a pioneering work of feminism and socialist thought.

REA's MAXnotes for Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure MAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion. Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work. MAXnotes are designed to stimulate independent thought about the literary work by raising various issues and thought-provoking ideas and questions. MAXnotes cover the essentials of what one should know about each work, including an overall summary, character lists, an explanation and discussion of the plot, the work's historical context, illustrations to convey the mood of the work, and a biography of the author. Each chapter is individually summarized and analyzed, and has study questions and answers.

Hardy's masterpiece traces a poor stonemason's ill-fated romance with his free-spirited cousin. No Victorian institution is spared — marriage, religion, education — and the outrage following publication led the embittered author to renounce fiction. Modern critics hail this novel as a pioneering work of feminism and socialist thought. Includes a biography of the Author