Jude the Obscure

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Jude the Obscure
Thomas Hardy
1895

The Summary
Jude the Obscure chronicles the life of young Jude Fawley, a stone mason and aspiring student, who one day dreams of going to Christminster and entering one of the colleges.  His dreams are sorely tried, however, as he struggles with his position in society, his feelings for his beloved and intellectual Sue, his wife Arabella, and his own misgivings about life.

The Good
All in all, Jude the Obscure is a compelling novel from beginning to end.  Although it may wax nostalgic or become frighteningly dull at certain moments, it more often picks up as a page turner of the greatest sort.  And, if you prefer the dramatic and the tragic, Thomas Hardy's work is sure to hold your attention.

Moreover, Hardy has an incredible grasp of the written word, and for a man of the Victorian Age, he has no discernible fear of using them to achieve the greatest impact.  Whether by providing indictments on the institution of marriage or quietly condemning social Darwinism, Hardy has the capability to weave together a richly compelling story.

The Bad
While Jude the Obscure remains relatively short in comparison to most of Hardy's Victorian contemporaries, this novel is still a Victorian novel.  As such, it has the tendency to digress and progress at a very slow speed.  Originally published in periodic installments, it often plays upon suspense and defers action until a later chapter.

Granted, the pace won't kill you.  But it will be no walk in the park.

The Ugly
Jude has a life all his own - and, naturally, it is not a very nice life to live.

Besides being duped into marriage by a predatory barmaid (Arabella Donn), Jude often struggles against the restrictions of society in his search to fulfill his dreams of attending one of the prestigious colleges in Christminster.  The tragedies he endures in the course of pursuing this dream, his divided love between his former wife and his darling lover, Sue Bridehead, and his constant battle to uncover a sense of place and belonging give the entire novel a hopeless and mournful tone.

As Hardy indicates in the second chapter of his novel, Jude will not come to a happy end, for "he was the sort of man who was born to ache a good deal before the fall of the curtain upon his unnecessary life..."

So, if you're planning on having a good day, I don't recommend reading Jude the Obscure.