Jude the Obscure

Book excerpt: Jude Fawley is a young and ambitious working-class man with dreams of pursuing an education and becoming a scholar. His plans are thwarted when he is lured into an unhappy marriage with a woman who doesn’t truly love him. As Jude navigates the complexities of love and relationships, he finds himself entangled in a tumultuous affair with his cousin, Sue Bridehead, a free-spirited and unconventional woman. Together, they challenge the conventions of society and struggle to find happiness and fulfillment in a world that seems determined to keep them apart THOMAS HARDY [1840-1928] was an English poet and author. His work is characterized by realism and criticism of the strict Victorian ideals which he believed limited people's lives and happiness. He achieved great success with the novel Under the Greenwood Tree [1872] and continued with successes such as Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d’Urbervilles.