Tess Of The d’Urbervilles - BBC 4

When’s it on Jane?
I love Tess of the D’Urbervilles. I’ve seen it several times before, not sure if I’ve seen this version.

Thanks for that, at last something worth watching

‘Madelene* two episodes were on late last night but it will be on the BBCiplayer.

I saw parts one and two this week but can't find parts three and four in future listings. I hope I haven't missed them as our I player is not loading properly.

Loved that book! English Read it and Mayor of Casterbridge for English when I was 15 ! Also read Jane Eyre that year. Loved that too.

I’ll def have a look. Thank you.

Yes, Jude was on last night (Thurs) too. Sadly Thomas Hardy is one of the most miserable, tedious authors in the English Language, exceptionally fortunate to appear at a time when almost anyone who could string a couple of vaguely credible sentences together might get published.

I recall having to waste a year of Eng Lit lessons when we had to study Far From The Madding Crowd, a novel I also mostly slept through a couple of years later when it appeared in film form, even Julie Christie's charms or those of Alan Bates couldn't enliven it enough. I see an IMDB review now says :- "does not shy away from Hardy's bleak view of existence". Well, if in any doubt readers, DO shy away!

DrWatson, you've summed him up perfectly. I recall dumping Tess half way through, even though I was supposed to read for my English course.

Yes indeed! Glad it’s not just me. And that thought about anyone who could string two words together at that time could get published - well said

Yes. Very joyless. Did Tess at uni. It almost drove over the edge and was one of the few books that I ever threw away. As for Far From the Maddinf Crowd … Sergeant Troy had the right idea and buggered off to the circus .

I found Tess of the D'urbervilles absolutely heartbreaking! I studied at A'level & it still resonates. The story is still pertinant today to some extent. 😒

Me too Ilovedogs.

I couldn't stand it either.

madalene

Me too *Ilovedogs. *

Good to know Madalene, The book, the film are so utterly heartbreakingly and I'm certain it's an awful reality for many poor young women around the globe. My heart still breaks for Tess & her baby, even after all these years! 🤔

I think that’s a tad harsh DrWatson.

‘Sadly Thomas Hardy is one of the most miserable, tedious authors in the English Language, exceptionally fortunate to appear at a time when almost anyone who could string a couple of vaguely credible sentences together might get published.’

For Hardy, novels were purely a means of generating income, he actually disliked writing books, maybe that’s the issue. His true passion and great talent lay in poetry, which I still recall vividly and with great pleasure since studying his poetry in A level.

Ilovedogs
I remember my first visit to Stonehenge. It was when you could still walk amongst the stones. It felt very evocative to me, thinking of the symbolism of Tess lying on the stone. When we pass Stonehenge now, I always think of Tess.
I said I love it in my first post. I meant it really touched me because it was so emotive. I always think of Hardy even now, when something happens just by pure chance, and then leads to something else happening.
I agree that Hardy had a dark view of life.

rubysong

I saw parts one and two this week but can't find parts three and four in future listings. I hope I haven't missed them as our I player is not loading properly.

It’s possible that they haven’t been broadcast yet and sometimes episodes are only put in the iPlayer after they’ve been broadcast. I’ll have a look in the tv guide to see if they are on soon.

rubysong Episode 3 is on next Wednesday at 10pm.

I think it’s the most beautiful adaptation. I spent my hippie years in Cornwall which is probably why I love it so much. My only problem with it is that I thought d’Urbeville was far more gorgeous than Angel! The acting, scenery and music is wonderful and the bit at the end makes me cry no matter how many times I watch it ( when the flag goes up …)

madalene

Ilovedogs
I remember my first visit to Stonehenge. It was when you could still walk amongst the stones. It felt very evocative to me, thinking of the symbolism of Tess lying on the stone. When we pass Stonehenge now, I always think of Tess.
I said I love it in my first post. I meant it really touched me because it was so emotive. I always think of Hardy even now, when something happens just by pure chance, and then leads to something else happening.
I agree that Hardy had a dark view of life.

Like me you can feel Tess's pain & heartbreak. It's quiet amazing, uncanny even, that a grumpy older gentleman from a rather privileged, uptight upbringing could possibly capture the essence & agony of poor tragic Tess. 😥

True. But as a young man meeting and falling in love with Emma in Cornwall was truly romantic. I wonder if their childlessness caused them both a lot of pain? When I used to walk along the Valency (my favourite walk; from The Cobweb Inn up to Minster Church) I always used to imagine them walking there.

Thank you Jane 43 I'll be looking out for it.

This morning I listened to a very interesting discussion about Tess. It was on BBC sounds, Melvyn Bragg 'in our time'. Well worth a listen if, like me, you are currently obsessed with the book. A few years ago we went to Hardy's house in Dorchester and saw the room in which he wrote Tess.

Thanks for that. I haven’t listened to In Our Time for a while ( there are so many good podcasts these days I can’t keep up with them). I’ll check that one out. I wonder if there’s a Backlisted podcast about it, too?