To wish Tess had just gone with Angel

[WallaceinAnderland]

This is probably a popular and well discussed opinion but it just makes me so sad every time. She didn't have to kill Alec, she was legally married to Angel. She could have just walked away.

This is one of my favourite books of all time, I've read it so many times (and still get emotional about baby Sorrow and the ending too). Beautifully written.

I agree with @GoldLash , the TV version with Gemma Arterton and Eddie Redmayne is sublime.

And yes, I think she killed Alec because of how he ruined her life and just kept appearing again and again - she'd been driven beyond reason I think.

Fascinating. I know of the novel of course but never knew what it was about.

Because her mental health was absolutely shot due to the society she lived in, her social class, expectations of women, inequality, poverty, her bonkers dad, and then, to top it all off, the horrific abuse she'd suffered all her life. She wasn't really in the best position to be making good decisions. That's why!

I was hoping someone would bring up The Mayor of Casterbridge. Loved Thomas Hardy when I was a gloomy teenager, need to read them again

Was there a need for the small children in Jude to die?

Also she didn’t have to kill him, no but nor do any other people who kill. He’d abused her for a long time and she had enough. Her husband was also a wanker and abusive in a different way.

I think she just unleashed a lifetime of abuse on Alec, so in a way that bit was quite satisfying. Angel didn’t deserve her anyway, dickhead.

Knew straight away what you meant, transported me back to A level English- nearly 40 years ago. Might re read. Wonder what my take will be on this now after some life experience?

It was one of my A level texts too, maybe we're the same age. I absolutely loved the book and still often think about it especially when I visit Dorset. It's such a well written account of how women's lives were limited by their sex. Man's inhumanity to woman indeed.
I was completely in love with Angel Clare, I suspect because he was played by the lovely Peter Firth in the film adaptation 😊

Never been able to read Tess again after having it as a set book at school. Too young, I think - equivalent of year 10, IIRC.

I knew which book you meant, though. People assuming TV reminded me of Pointless yesterday. Fill in the missing buildings from book titles. They got hardly any, although the authors' names were provided too. List included
Hall
The Old Curiosity
Jamaica
The on the Floss
I Capture the __
Murder at the __
__Royale

So post it in the book/reading forum 🙁

Why? Anything and everything goes in this section. At least the OP had an AIBU. Lots post here without one.

Oliver Milburn as Angel was absolutely gorgeous. That was my favourite adaptation

It’s a very ‘modern’ novel given when it was written. Hardy writes women well, for the time. It’s a great story but yes very sad.

It's been a very long time since I read it but I think she thought Angel would never trust her again as long as Alec was alive. I also think she may have been so mentally unwell at that point that she was beyond reason... or maybe it was an elaborate kind of murder-suicide.

Such a sad book. I read it in once and never again

It's reasonably often in the TV.

there's a book section too

Don't 'oh mate' me, patronising!

if belongs in book/tv, whatever form you want to chat about. Not in AIBU.

No shit Sherlock. But the TV adaptation is often played & discussed. It belongs in TV or Reading. NOT in AIBU.

I read the book a long time ago, but didn't Angel dump her for being impure even though he admitted she was "more sinned against than sinning". Alec had ruined her life and that's why she killed him.

Threads like AIBU to ask how to book a holiday / use the tube / what your favourite salad is should be kicked out of AIBU but at least this one has a discussion point.

It’s years since I’ve read the book but given all she’d been through, Tess can’t be blamed for exploding. And Angel was such a sanctimonious git that I think he’d have thrown Alex at her constantly.

Literature questions are always an easy win for me because Pointless contestants are almost universally terrible at them.

shop
inn
mill
castle
vicarage
casino

The “hall” has confused me because surely that’s the building part of the title?

YABU. The OP is asking whether they are being unreasonable. OP has posted a question and a poll about a matter on which many of us will have an opinion. Their query is allowed to relate to a book unless the rest of us have missed a rule.

@Amelie2025 can AIBU not be cultural? Surely most questions/discussions in AIBU could fit in other sections too eg relationships, parenting

To answer the original question, I’ve always assumed that she thought Angel couldn’t truly love and respect her after she had chosen to go back to Alec and live as his mistress. So she killed Alec as revenge for destroying her only chance of happiness.

It is a very beautiful and very sad book.