Jude the Obscure

JudetheObscurecreatedstormsofscandalandprotestfortheauthoruponitspublication.Hardy,disgustedanddisappointed,devotedtheremainderofhislifetopoetryandneverwroteanothernovel.Today,thematerialisfarlessshocking.JudeFawley,apoorstonecarverwithaspirationstowardanacademiccareer,isthwartedateveryturnandisfinallyforcedtogiveuphisdreamsofauniversityeducation.Heistrickedintoanunwisemarriage,andwhenhiswifedesertshim,hebeginsarelationshipwithafree-spiritedcousin.Withthisbeginsthedescentintobleaktragedyasthecouplealternatelydefyandsuccumbtothepressuresofadeeplydisapprovingsociety.Hardy'scharactershaveafascinatingambiguity:theyarevictimizedbyasternmoralcode,buttheyarealsoselfishandweak-willedcreatureswhobringonmuchoftheirowndifficultiesthroughtheirownvacillationsandsubmissionstoimpulse.TheabridgmentspeedsJude'sfalltoconsiderabledramaticeffect,butitalsodeletestheauthor'sagonizinglogic.InsteadofthemeticulousweavingofJude'sdestiny,wegetasomewhatincoherentsummarythatpreservesthemajorplotpointsbutfailstodrawusintothetragedy.MichaelPenningtonreadsresonantlyandskillfully,hisvoiceperfectlymatchingthegrimmusicofHardy'sprose,butthisrecordingcanonlyberecommendedforlargerpubliclibraries.-JohnOwen,AdvancedMicroDevices,Sunnyvale,CACopyright1999ReedBusinessInformation,Inc.--Thistextreferstoanoutofprintorunavailableeditionofthistitle.