Jude the Obscure (Riverside Editions)

Rating:
Summary: almost perfect
Review: This novel is just one step shy of being a true and great masterpiece. But it's still excellent and its near perfection makes it a compelling read. It's also a deeply moral work, although attacked upon publication as an insult to marriage and religion. No, it isn't. It's the story of a decent Christian guy named Jude who has dreams of getting educated and becoming something in life, so he teaches himself Latin. He meets and falls for a pagan girl named Sue, with whom he has nothing in common. Love works in mysterious ways. Although Thomas Hardy's writing is powerful and gripping with great storylines, his stories are ultimately tragic and convey his pessimistic view on life. But I prefer unhappy endings anyway. He's my favorite Victorian novelist.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"