
Letztes Jahr habe ich vor allem Bücher gelesen, die mich in andere Zeiten und Kulturen, in die kognitive, sowie in die industrielle Revolution und ihre grossen Veränderungen, oder zu den Anfängen des Kapitalismus und seiner Korruption, sowie zum Anfang der Gleichgültigkeit zurückgeführt haben. Es ist wahrscheinlich auch wahr, dass die weltweite Pandemie mich dazu gebracht hat, mehr und mehr, über unsere Welt nachzudenken und es sind diese Gedanken, die mich dazu gebracht haben, das Buch TESS und seine wunderschöne poetische Sprache von Thomas Hardy, das ich vor ungefähr 40 Jahren mit grosser Begeisterung gelesen habe, wieder zur Hand zu nehmen. Ausserdem sind wir in der Gegend, wo sich die Geschichte abspielt, also im Südwesten Englands, im Blackmoor Tal gewandert und haben Hardy’s Wessex und seine märchenhaften Dörfer etwas kennengelernt.
Tess, oder die Heldin dieses Buches, hiess mit Nachnamen Durbeyfield, bis ein Pfarrer ihrem Vater glauben machte, dass er von der adeligen Familie D’Urbervilles abstamme und deshalb kein armer Hausierer sei. Sie personifiziert, für mich, symbolisch die perfekte Natur im zweiten Teil des 19. Jahrhunderts und ihr Niedergang und derjenige der Natur beginnt. Als der ältere Pfarrer ihren Vater glauben macht, dass er direkt von der alten, reichen, Nobelfamilie der d’Urbervilles abstamme und alles andere als ein Hausierer sei!
Da die Familie grosse finanzielle Schwierigkeiten hat, schickt sie ihre Tochter Tess zur Frau d’Urbervilles und ihrem grässlichen modernen Ansehen, in der Hoffnung, dass Tess dort zu Geld kommen würde. Später lernen wir jedoch, dass der Ehemann d’Urbervilles, ein Händler namens Stokes, den Namen nach seiner Pensionierung unter seltsamen Umständen angenommen hat! Es wird uns gezeigt, was Geld alles machen kann!
Mit der Hilfe von Alec, dem Sohn von Mrs. d’Urbervilles, erhält Tess eine Arbeit auf Tantridge und ist zuständig für das Geflügel. Alec belästigt Tess leider von Anfang an, Tess kann ihrer Situation aber nicht entkommen, weil sie sich verantwortlich fühlt ihren Eltern finanziell zu helfen, da sie am Tod ihres Pferdes schuld ist.
Nach einigen Monaten bietet Alec Tess an, sie nach einem Fest nach Hause zu bringen. Er nutzt diese Situation natürlich aus, als sie durch den Wald fahren. Sie wird schwanger, da sie Alec jedoch nicht liebt, muss sie nach Hause zurückkehren, wo ihr Kind geboren wird. Die folgenden Monate sich schrecklich für Tess. An einem Tag sehen wir sie mit dem Kind und den Ernemaschinen auf den Feldern, als sie Mittagspause macht. Am Nachmittag wird sie jedoch informiert, dass es ihrem Bay nicht gut gehe. Da die Situation sich verschlimmert bittet Tess ihren Vater für die Taufe einen Pfarrer kommen zu lassen. Der Vater will dies absolut nicht. Als es Tess in der Nacht klar wird, dass ihr Kind bald sterben wird, tauft sie das Kind selbst, so dass es nicht in der Hölle landet! Sie weckt ihre Geschwister, die im selben Zimmer schlafen, um ihr beizustehen. Das Kind bekommt den Namen SORROW.
Nach einiger Zeit nimmt Tess eine Stelle als Milchmädchen in Talbothays an. Es ist für sie eine recht gute Zeit und sie freut sich über die Freundschaften und trifft dort Angel Clare wieder. Sie hatte ihn als sehr junges Mädchen auf einem Maifest, ganz am Anfang der Geschichte, kurz gesehen, jedoch ist sie nicht zum Tanz aufgefordert worden. Sie lernen sich langsam besser kennen und verlieben sich ineinander. Leider spricht Tess mit Angel nicht über ihre Vergangenheit, und er kann das Vorgefallene aus seiner engstirnig viktorianischen, eisigen Sichtweise nicht akzeptieren, als er alles erfährt und verlässt seine Frau, um nach Brasilien zu gehen. Auf Grund von sozialem Unrecht enden so beide Beziehungen von Tess in einer Tragödie.
Am Ende entscheidet Angel Tess zu verzeihen und versucht verzweifelt sie zu finden. Sie teilt ihm mit, dass er leider zu spät zurückgekommen sei, weil sie nun mit Alec lebt, der nun ihr Geliebter ist. Sie ersticht diesen daraufhin und wird wegen Mordes exekutiert.

During the last year I have read above all books that brought me back to other periods and cultures, to the cognitive as well as to the industrial revolution and its big changes or to the development of capitalism, its corruption and indifference. It is probably also true that the worldwide pandemic made me think more and more about our world and it is this, which made me take up again Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” or maybe I should say Durbeyfield and Southwest England or the Vale of Blackmore or other fairytale villages or valleys in the writer’s Wessex, where we once undertook a hiking holiday. Despite the tragedy of this story, I very much enjoy its poetic language!
Tess, the heroine of this novel, represents for me, symbolically, the perfection of nature in the second part of the 19th century and her doom and that one of the countryside start with the information the elderly parson gave to her father that he was in fact a lineal representative of the ancient rich, knightly family of d’Urbervilles and not a poor peddler.
As the family is in big financial difficulties the parents send their daughter to Mrs. d’Urbervilles and her hideous new mansion in the hope Tess would make a fortune! We later understand, however, that her husband, the merchant Simon Stokes, had just taken on the name d’Urbervilles after retirement under mysterious circumstances! We are shown what money can do! With the help of Alec, Mrs. d’Urberville’s son, however, Tess get’s a job on their mansion Tantridge as a fowl tender. Alec harrows Tess right from the beginning, but the poor girl can’t escape the situation, because she feels that she has to help her parents, whose horse has been killed due to her fault. After some months Alec offers Tess a ride home after a fair and seduces her in the woods. As she does not love Alec she has to return home, because she is pregnant and where her little baby is born. The following months are miserable for her. One day the baby is with Tess and the harvesting machines on the fields as she is having her lunch. In the afternoon, however, she is informed that the baby is ill. His situation is worsening and Tess asks her father for a parson to baptize him, but he doesn’t want to have any parson in the house. During the night Tess is aware of the oncoming end of her child so that she decides to baptize him herself in order to avoid hell! She wakes up her brothers and sisters to attend the ceremony and she gives him the name SORROW.

After a certain period she accepts a job milkmaid at Talbothays. On the whole she enjoys the friendships she makes and even meets the seemingly upright Angel Clare again. She met this young man quickly at the May Dance at the beginning of the novel. They slowly get closer and fall in love. Angel proposes Tess to marry him. Unfortunately, she doesn’t speak to Angel about her past, fact that Angel’s narrow, icy Victorian double morality doesn’t accept it when he is informed and leaves his then wife for Brazil! So, both her relationships end in a tragedy due to social injustice.
In the end Angel decides to forgive Tess and desperately tries to find her. She tells him that his decision has arrived to late, because she lives then with her lover, Alec, whom she stabs to death in consequence and is later executed for her deed.

Durante l’ultimo anno ho letto soprattutto libri che mi hanno riportato ad altre epoche e culture, alla rivoluzione cognitiva come a quella industriale e ai suoi grandi cambiamenti o allo sviluppo del capitalismo, alla sua corruzione e indifferenza. Probabilmente è anche vero che la pandemia mondiale mi ha fatto pensare sempre di più al nostro mondo ed è questo che mi ha fatto riprendere in mano “” di Thomas Hardy of Tess dei d’Urbervilles forse dovrei dire Durbeyfield e l’Inghilterra sud-occidentale o la Valle di Blackmore o altri villaggi o valli fiabesche nel Wessex dello scrittore, dove abbiamo fatto una volta una vacanza di trekking. Nonostante la tragedia di questa storia, mi piace molto il suo linguaggio poetico!
Tess, l’eroina di questo romanzo, rappresenta per me, simbolicamente la perfezione della natura nella seconda parte del XIX secolo e la sua rovina e quella della campagna iniziano con l’informazione che l’anziano parroco ha dato a suo padre di essere in realtà un rappresentante in linea di massima dell’antica famiglia ricca e cavalleresca dei d’Urbervilles e non un povero venditore ambulante.
Siccome la famiglia è in grosse difficoltà finanziarie, i genitori mandano la figlia dalla signora d’Urbervilles e dalla sua nuova orribile villa nella speranza che Tess faccia fortuna! Più tardi, però, capiamo che suo marito, il mercante Simon Stokes, aveva appena assunto il nome d’Urbervilles dopo essere andato in pensione in circostanze misteriose! Ci viene mostrato cosa può fare il denaro! Con l’aiuto di Alec, il figlio della signora d’Urberville, tuttavia, Tess ottiene un lavoro nella loro villa Tantridge come tenutaria di polli. Alec tormenta Tess fin dall’inizio, ma la povera ragazza non può sottrarsi alla situazione, perché sente di dover aiutare i suoi genitori, il cui cavallo è stato ucciso per colpa sua. Dopo alcuni mesi Alec offre a Tess un passaggio a casa dopo una fiera e la seduce nel bosco. Poiché non ama Alec, deve tornare a casa, perché è incinta e dove nasce il suo bambino. I mesi seguenti sono miserabili per lei. Un giorno il bambino è con Tess e i raccoglitori nei campi mentre lei sta pranzando. Nel pomeriggio, però, viene informata che il bambino è malato. La sua situazione sta peggiorando e Tess chiede a suo padre un parroco che lo battezzi, ma lui non vuole avere nessun parroco in casa. Durante la notte Tess si rende conto della fine imminente del suo bambino e decide di battezzarlo lei stessa per evitare l’inferno! Sveglia i suoi fratelli e sorelle per assistere alla procedura e gli dà il nome di SORROW.
Dopo un certo periodo accetta un lavoro come lattaia a Talbothays. Nell’insieme si gode le amicizie che fa e incontra di nuovo Angel Clare. Incontra rapidamente questo giovane al ballo di maggio all’inizio del romanzo. Lentamente si avvicinano e si innamorano. Angel propone a Tess di sposarlo. Sfortunatamente, lei non parla ad Angel del suo passato, fatto che l’angusta e gellida morale dei due pesi e due misure di Angel non accetta quando viene informato e lascia la sua allora moglie per il Brasile! Così, entrambe le sue relazioni finiscono in una tragedia a causa dell’ingiustizia sociale.
Alla fine Angel decide di perdonare Tess e cerca disperatamente di trovarla. Lei gli dice che la sua decisione è arrivata troppo tardi, perché lei vive allora con il suo amante, Alec, che di conseguenza pugnala a morte e viene poi giustiziato per il suo gesto.

Martina, great summary and analysis of Thomas Hardy’s depressingly excellent “Tess.” One’s heart aches for fictional characters who can barely catch a break. 😦
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I very much enjoy, Dave, that you share my feelings for this outstanding book:) Sometimes it’s good to go back so that we have a better understanding for the present!
Many thanks and all the best for the futur:)
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I agree, Dave. Martina’s post is an excellent overview. When Martina described the scene of the baby’s baptism, I recalled the first time that I read that portion. I was overwhelmed by sorrow.
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Your mentioning of that scene, Rebecca, makes me shudder, I think, most of all, because of her complete loneliness, despite the fact that she was in her parents house!
It very special for me to share these feelings with you and thank you a lot for these words.
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Happy New Year, Martina! I haven’t read Tess yet, so I had to avoid reading this closely. 🙂
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Thank you very much, Mary Jo, for your words and many pleasant reading hours in this 2022:)
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It is a brilliant read and an unforgettable story, Mary Jo.
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I just this very minute ordered it from my local library! 🙂
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This gives me really pleasure, Mary Jo, and I am sure that you will appreciate the book!:)
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:):) Mary Jo has in the meantime ordered the book!!:)
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Happy New Year Martina! Great photos of your trip to the West Country. I haven’t read any Hardy (yet!) although I rather like his poetry. I knew his writing was bleak but I had no idea it was quite so traumatic! One to pick up later in the year I think.
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Our hiking trip in Hardy’s beautiful Wessex, was very wet indeed, but we enjoyed it all the same! I have read some of his books, but no poetry, so you see, we can’t do everything, Sarah:) Should you ever feel like takling Tess, I would advice you to feel well. Many thanks for your interests and I wish you a very good 2022, especially good health:)
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A tragic story, indeed!
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and so beautiful and unputdownable at the same time, Rosaliene! Thank you so much for your comment:)
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Was für eine tragische Geschichte. Deine Bilder passen wirklich wunderbar dazu, als wäre man in der Zeit zurückgereist. Diese typisch englischen Dörfer oder Kleinstädte haben irgendwie beides: das magisch Romantische und düstere aus dem Mittelalter. Das gefällt mir.
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Sehr schön hast du das gesagt, liebe Erika! Sie führen uns also teilweise zurück zur Zeit vor der industriellen Revolution, als die Natur noch unverschandet war. In Dartmouth hingegen sieht man die Veränderungen mit all ihren Vor-und Nachteilen, die diese gebracht hat, was in der Tragik der Geschichte des Mädchens Tess personifiziert wird.
Hab vielen Dank, dass du dir die Mühe genommen hast meinen Beitrag zu lesen und zu kommentieren:)
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Das war bestimmt keine Mühe, Martina, sondern eine Freude. Deine Beiträge sind immer so interessant. Danke dir dafür!
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:):)
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Your photography is perfect to accompany Tess!! A wonderful post that reminded me of when I first met Tess when I was 17. It was a required reading for school and I confess I did not relish the prospect of opening the pages. Thomas Hardy touches the deepest emotional levels with Tess, which was augmented for me because of my age. I seemed to bond with Tess and became intensely involved with the story line. It was a pivotal read – one that has stayed with me over the years. How choices and fate play a roll in the story of humanity. Happy New Year! I look forward to many conversations.
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To read Tess at 17 seems to me a really difficult task, but maybe also an eye opener! On the whole, I think, however, that whatever age we have there is something we can learn from. It seems that I become more and more suspicious of all the technological developments, which should make life easier!
These special moments in our everydays make life different and I am therefore looking foreward to more of them:)
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Danke, liebe Martina, fuer die Vorstellung dieses Buches. 🙂
Liebe Gruesse, mach’s gut, und bleib’ gesund,
Pit
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Lieber Pit, ganz herzlichen Dank für deine Worte und auch dir dir und deiner Frau alles Gute im 2022!:)
Lieben Gruss Martina
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🙂
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Martina, Happy New Year! 🙂
What a beautiful journey, with the rainy and overcast weather from the first images setting the mood.
Your summary brought back Tess vividly for me 🙂 but I have to thank you for the sunny Butterwalk of Dartmouth – something new for me 🙂
I miss Europe more than I can say so your bog post came at the right time.
Have a glorious 2022!
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I am, of course, sorry that you miss Europe, but at the same time I am pleased that through my post some of your feelings for it and Tess may have come back, Patricia! I fell in love with Dartmouth at first sight. I very much hope that you will soon be able to visit Europe and Romania:)
Let’s try to enjoy the little things!
Many thanks for your words and feelings:)
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Liebe Martina,
den Plot des Romans hast du hervorragend dargestellt. Well done!
Wir wünschen dir alles Gute und einen Tag voller Freude
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Das freut mich sehr, Klausbernd, hab vielen Dank! Ich dachte einfach, dass einige der im Buch aufgegriffenen Argumente, wie ökonomische Ungleichheit, auch in unserer Gesellschaft, immer mehr zum Thema werden!
Hoffentlich könnt ihr die Sonne noch ein wenig geniessen:)
Cari saluti Martina
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Hi Martina, I really enjoyed revisiting this book through your words. Tess of the D’Urbervilles is one of my favourite books and I have read it a few times. I rarely re-read books because I have a good memory, but I love the descriptions in this book. I modelled my character of a nun in one of my own books on Tess with regards to her gentle nature and quiet ways.
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First of all, I envy you for your good memory, Roberta!:) I think, however, that it can have positive points rereading a book, because it may happen that one perceives the world differently! I would very appreciate, if you indicated the name of your book, you have made me curious. Many thanks for your interesting comment and have a good day!
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Hi Martina, the name of my book is Through the Nethergate. It is written under my full name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle. You are correct that re-reading a book can bring a lot more meaning to the detail of the writing and the characterisation.
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My compliments, Roberta, for your challenging novel about good and bad and being abused! It seems to me that hese points have similarities with Tess of D’Urbervilles:)
Many thanks and all the best.
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Yes, indeed a very sad story, Martina. 😟
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Yes, certainly,Brogido, but it’s beautifully written!
I wish you a very good Sunday:)
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hello, how are you? such a nice place! have a nice day!
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Le fameux roman “Tess of the D’Urbervilles “nous montre combien le monde a changé à cause de l’industrialisation!
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Wie tragisch und wie traurig!
Wie problematisch doch damals die gesellschaftlichen Zwänge waren, denen sich insbesondere die Frauen unterwefen mussten.
Vielen Dank für den TTipp, Martina!
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Ich denke, dass wir uns glücklich schätzen können,in einer Demokratie zu leben, wo es nicht nur Reiche und Adelige gibt, sowie Arme und Frauen!
Auch dir vielen Dank für deine Gedanken und eine gute Woche. L.G. Martina
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🌸💕
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