Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Tess of the d'Urbervilles, novel by Thomas Hardy.

The book was published in 1891; it is set in the 1840s and 1850s, and tells the story of Tess Durbeyfield, an impoverished young woman who is seduced by Alec D'Urberville, a rich man who then abandons her. She bears his child before being married to Angel Clare, a pious young man whom she loves passionately. The novel explores the nature of good and evil, and draws attention to the sexual double standard that existed at that time in 19th-century England. The novel has been adapted for film and stage numerous times since its publication, most notably in Roman Polanski's 1979 film version starring Nastassja Kinski as Tess.