Jude the Obscure
Thomas Hardy · 1840–1928 · England
Why it matters
A stonemason's hunger for learning, punished by every institution in his path. The reception was so savage (a bishop burned it) that Hardy quit fiction forever. The bleakest and most modern of Victorian novels.
At a glance
tragedypsychological novel
Difficulty 5/10slow pace448 pagesBleak, dense argumentation about class and religion woven through the plot.
Where to go next
Thomas Hardy · 1874Far from the Madding CrowdLvl 4Medium pace
Thomas Hardy · 1878The Return of the NativeLvl 6Slow burn
Thomas Hardy · 1886The Mayor of CasterbridgeLvl 5Medium pace
Thomas Hardy · 1887The WoodlandersLvl 5Slow burn
Thomas Hardy · 1891Tess of the d'UrbervillesLvl 4Medium pace
George Eliot · 1872MiddlemarchLvl 6Slow burn