Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman

图书标准信息

• 作者 Thomas Hardy 著
• 出版社 Random House Publishing Group
• 出版时间 2001-02
• ISBN 9780375756795
• 定价 74.60元
• 装帧 平装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 其他
• 页数 544页
• 正文语种 英语
• 丛书 Modern Library Classics

【内容简介】

Etchedagainstthebackgroundofadyingruralsociety,Tessofthed'UrbervilleswasThomasHardy's'bestseller,'andTessDurbeyfieldremainshismoststrikingandtragicheroine.Ofallthecharactershecreated,shemeantthemosttohim.Hopelesslytornbetweentwomen—Alecd'Urberville,awealthy,dissoluteyoungmanwhoseducesherinalonelywood,andAngelClare,herprovincial,moralistic,andunforgivinghusband—Tessescapesfromherviseofpassionthroughahorrible,desperateact.

'Likethegreatestcharactersinliterature,Tesslivesbeyondthefinalpagesofthebookasapermanentcitizenoftheimagination,'saidIrvingHowe.'InTesshestakeseverythingonhissensuousapprehensionofayoungwoman'slife,agirlwhoisatonceasimplemilkmaidandanarchetypeoffemininestrength....Tessisthatrarecreatureinliterature:goodnessmadeinteresting.'

NowTessofthed'Urbervilleshasbeenbroughttotelevisioninamagnificentnewco-productionfromA&ENetworkandLondonWeekendTelevision.JustineWaddell(AnnaKarenina)starsasthetragicheroine,Tess;OliverMilburn(Chandler&Co.)isAngelClare;andJasonFlemyngisAlecd'Urberville.ThecastalsoincludesJohnMcEnery(BlackBeauty)asJackDurbeyfieldandLesleyDunlop(TheElephantMan)asJoanDurbeyfield.Tessofthed'UrbervillesisdirectedbyIanSharpandproducedbySarahWilson,withascreenplaybyTedWhitehead;itwasfilmedinHardycountry,thebeautifulEnglishcountrysideinDorsetwhereThomasHardysethisnovels.

FromtheeBookedition.,

【作者简介】

ThomasHardywasbornonJune2,1840,inathatched-roofcottageinupperBockhampton,Dorset,England,apropheticbirthplacethatlayinthecenterof'Wessex,'thefictionalregionofsouthwestEnglandwhichwouldserveasthebackdropforhisnovels.Theeldestsonofaprosperousbuilderandstonemason,HardywaseducatedatthevillageschoolandapprenticedattheageofsixteentolocalarchitectandchurchrestorerJohnHicks.In1862hewenttoLondontopursuehisarchitecturalcareer;healsobeganwritingatthistime.HardyreturnedtoDorsetin1867tobecomeassistanttoJohnHicksandwrotehisfirstnovel,ThePoorManandtheLady,ofwhichonlyfragmentsremain.AlthoughGeorgeMeredith,whowasreaderforChapman&Hallpublishers,advisedagainstitspublication,heencouragedHardytokeepwriting,preferablyastorywithamorecomplicatedplot.Overthenextseveralyearsheproducedthreemorenovels:DesperateRemedies(1871)andUndertheGreenwoodTree(1872)werepublishedanonymously,butAPairofBlueEyes(1873)boretheauthor'sname.

InNovember1872,LeslieStephen,thedistinguishedcriticandeditor,wrotetoHardyinvitinghimtocontributeanovelforserializationintheCornhillMagazine,aprestigiousmonthlythathadpublishedtheworkofsuchestablishedwritersasAnthonyTrollope.HardyacceptedandinhislettertoStephenaddedthat'thechiefcharacterswouldprobablybeayoungwoman-farmer,ashepherd,andasergeantofcavalry.'HewroteFarfromtheMaddingCrowdbothinandoutofdoorsatBockhamptomasifpossessed.'Occasionallywithoutascrapofpaperattheverymomentwhen[I]feltvolumes...[I]woulduselargedeadleaves,whitechipsleftbythewoodcutters,orpiecesofstoneorslatethatcametohand,'Hardylaterrecalled.Publishedanonymouslyin1874,FarfromtheMaddingCrowdsoldoutinjustovertwomonthsandmarkedtheturningpointinHardy'sliterarycareer.AsVirginiaWoolflaternoted:'Thesubjectwasright;themethodwasright;thepoetandthecountryman,thesensualman,thesombrereflectiveman,themanoflearning,allenlistedtoproduceabookwhich,howeverfashionsmaychopandchange,mustholditsplaceamongthegreatEnglishnovels.'

ThesuccessofFarfromtheMaddingCrowdin1874encouragedHardytoabandonarchitectureanddevotehimselfentirelytothecraftoffiction.Hisnextnovel,TheHandofEthelberta(1876),alsoappearedintheCornhillMagazinebutdidnotrepeatthesuccessofitspredecessor.In1874HardymarriedEmmaLaviniaGifford,andthecouplesoonsettledinanidylliccottageoverlookingtheDorsetStour,atSturminsterNewton,whereHardywroteTheReturnoftheNative(1878).In1878hemovedtoLondon.Althoughhebecameawell-knownfigureinliterarycirclesandwasconsideredacatchforhostesses,Hardywrotethreedisappointing'minor'novelsduringhisyearsthere:TheTrumpet-Major(1880),ALaodicean(1881),andTwoonaTower(1882).Thisfallowperiodinhiscareerseemedtoliftin1885withhisreturntoDorsettoliveatMaxGate.OverthenextthreeyearshepublishedTheMayorofCasterbridge(1886),whichmanyregardashisgreatesttragicnovel,TheWoodlanders(1887),andhisfirstcollectionofshortstories,WessexTales(1888).In1891Tessofthed'Urbervillesappeared,andin1895Hardy'sfinalnovel,JudetheObscure,cameout.ThebooksentshockwavesofindignationrollingacrossVictorianEngland.Itwasdenouncedaspornographyandsubjectedtheauthortoanavalancheofabuse.Hardy'sdisgustatthepublic'sreactionledhimtoannouncein1896thathewouldneveragainwritefiction.

Duringtheremainingyearsofhislife,Hardydevotedhimselftopoetry,publishinghisfirstbookofverse,WessexPoems,in1898.Asecondcollection,PoemsofthePastandPresent,appearedin1901.OverthenextfiveyearsHardywroteTheDynasts,anepicdramaabouttheNapoleonicWar.In1912hemadeafinalrevisionofhisnovelsfortheauthoritativeWessexEditions.Hardy'swifediedsuddenlythesameyear.InFebruary1914hemarriedhislongtimesecretary,FlorenceEmilyDugdale.OverthenextdecadeHardycontinuedtowritepoetryandtoworkonhisautobiography,TheEarlyLifeofThomasHardy,whichwassupposedlyauthoredbyhissecondwifeandpublishedposthumously.ThomasHardydiedinDorsetonJanuary11,1928.HisheartwasburiedintheWessexcountrysideintheparishchurchyardatStinsford;hisasheswereplacednexttothoseofCharlesDickensinthePoets'CornerofWestminsterAbbey.