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Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Updated)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Updated) | Thomas Hardy
A heartbreaking portrayal of a woman faced by an impossible choice in the pursuit of happiness When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. With its sensitive depiction of the wronged Tess and powerful criticism of social convention, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, subtitled "A Pure Woman," is one of the most moving and poetic of Hardy's novels. Based on the three-volume first edition that shocked readers when first published in 1891, this edition includes as appendices: Hardy's Prefaces, the Landscapes of Tess, episodes originally censored from the Graphic periodical version, and a selection of the Graphic illustrations. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators."
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GinaKButler
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Love when one book I‘m reading references another…

Reading Tess of the D‘Urbervilles…and I‘m also reading Peter the Great‘s biography. Happy coincidence!

(And, working the middle school book fair! 💃)

Ruthiella I totally love it when that happens! 😃 3w
13 likes1 comment
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GinaKButler
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Up next: my February #bookspin and one of the classics on my list! @TheAromaofBooks

#bookspinbingo

BarbaraBB It‘s good! 1mo
intothehallofbooks Great book! 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo
20 likes1 stack add3 comments
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GinaKButler
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My February #bookspin and #doublespin.

Excited for a great month…thank you for hosting, @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 2mo
16 likes1 comment
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dabbe
Tess of D'Ubervilles | Thomas Hardy
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#12Booksof2023 @Andrew65

October: TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES
This one also turned out to be my favorite read of the entire year. 🖤💙🖤

Andrew65 A real classic! Stands the test of time. 3mo
dabbe @Andrew65 🤩🤗😃 3mo
60 likes2 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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On the tenth day of Christmas…

Even though it was sad, I loved this book when we read it with the #hashtagbrigade in October. #12booksof2023

Andrew65 A true classic! 3mo
dabbe My same pick, too! #greatminds 🖤💙🖤 3mo
62 likes2 comments
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dabbe
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#2023ReadingBracket

I have to say I'm a bit surprised to find that TESS was my favorite read of 2024. That's why I love this bracketing template; I really had no idea until the end what would come out on top. I loved the contemporary reads, but perhaps I am a classicist at heart. And thanks to the #hashtagbrigade, or this book might have stayed on my #TBR indefinitely. Can't wait to see what 2024 has in store. 🤩

Bookwormjillk I loved Tess too. 3mo
dabbe @Bookwormjillk 💙❄️💙 3mo
Ruthiella It isn‘t at the top of my list, but I am very glad to have read it! TGF #HashtagBrigade ! 3mo
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Daisey It isn‘t at the top of my list for the year, but the #HashtagBrigade definitely helped me enjoy it much more than I expected. (edited) 3mo
Suet624 This post just reminds me I really have to check this book out. Glad you liked it so much. 3mo
dabbe @Ruthiella 💙🖤💙 3mo
dabbe @Daisey 💙🖤💙 3mo
dabbe @Suet624 💙🖤💙 3mo
BarbaraBB Interesting!! And I loved Tess too! 3mo
eeclayton It's one of my 2023 favourites, too. Her story will definitely stay with me. 3mo
Cuilin One of my favorites too. 💚 3mo
dabbe @BarbaraBB 🤩😍😘 3mo
dabbe @eeclayton 🤩😍😘 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin 🤩😍😘 3mo
75 likes14 comments
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GinaKButler
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Christmas gift #bookstack 😍

Merry, Merry, Littens! 🎄

Ruthiella Nice haul! Merry Christmas! 🎄 3mo
27 likes1 comment
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bibliothecarivs
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Recent acquisitions:

📖 Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Norton Critical Editions) - I collect editions of Tess and this is my 28th
📖 Stockholm (English Edition) by Per Anders Fogelström, photos by Åke Mokvist

#UniteAgainstBookBans #fREADom

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dabbe
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#Two4Tuesday
Thanks for the tag, @TheSpineView! 🤗

1. Believe it or not, TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES was my favorite for October. While I loved all the spooky reads, this one gut-punched me and will stay with me for a long time.
2. Since our GSDs are quite excitable (still at 3 years of age), we'll put some candy out front and hide in our backroom watching Halloween movies and our AZ Diamondbacks in the World Series! ⚾️🎃⚾️

TheSpineView I have never had any kids come by for candy in the 12 years I have owned this house. I kind of miss them. Happy Halloween! 5mo
dabbe @TheSpineView We have hit and miss years. Some years tons of kids come; last year, hardly anyone (maybe the Covid thing was still a deterrent). Happy Halloween to you, too! 🖤🎃🖤 5mo
38 likes2 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Tess of D'Ubervilles | Thomas Hardy
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Cuilin That ending 😢 💔 5mo
Deblovestoread I finished a few days ago. What a heartbreaking story. How I wanted happiness for Tess and how I wanted the men who let her down to pay. So glad to have finally read this classic even with its sadness. Thanks for keeping me motivated! 5mo
See All 19 Comments
currentlyreadinginCO This was fun to read together! Poor Tess! 5mo
Bookwormjillk That about sums it up. The one thing I remember about reading this in high school is my teacher going into a deep explanation about Stonehenge. I guess because if he told us what this book was really about he would have been fired? 5mo
TheBookHippie It‘s just #SOSAD …. Thanks for pulling us through!!! 5mo
quietjenn Thanks for leading us through a terrific, and terrifically devastating read. Can't believe I remembered almost nothing of it. 5mo
Ruthiella Thank for your fearless leadership @BarkingMadRead ! 👏👏👏🤩 The subtitle to this book should be “a novel of poor communication and bad timing”! 5mo
eeclayton Thanks for leading us @BarkingMadRead and thanks everyone for your comments and posts. I couldn't take part in the discussions as much as I had wanted to because it was a really busy period for me both at work and in private, but I was following and enjoying your comments all the while 💕 Hardy broke my heart but I loved the book all the same! 5mo
dabbe Thanks @BarkingMadRead for getting us through this. 🤗 Tess will stay with me for a long time. I'd add that the moral of the story is to never fall asleep on the side of the road in the middle of a dark night. 😃 5mo
julieclair Absolutely heartbreaking ending. 💔 Thanks, @BarkingMadRead for your (as always) excellent leadership through this sad tale. 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly @dabbe One of a number of morals, I‘d say! Another might be “don‘t rape women, even if they are asleep, no matter how hot you think they are.” 5mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly 🤩 5mo
Daisey I knew going in that this was not going to be happy, but it was also quite different from what I expected. I also liked it better than expected. After his treatment of Tess, I was kind of hoping Angel was just going to waste away from his illness, rather than get another chance. 5mo
Bklover What a wonderful and brutally sad book! I do find it frustrating that Angel gets another chance with Tess‘s sister! Thanks @BarkingMadRead for your guidance and humor. Definitely the only way I got through this one! 5mo
KAO Thanks for the company and much needed comic relief on this journey with poor Tess! This was my first group read done with a paced plan, and the encouragement helped get me through a challenging book. I enjoyed it—even if there was some gnashing of teeth at every tragic turn! 5mo
eeclayton @Daisey I was hoping that too! 5mo
BarkingMadRead @KAO I wish we had something more fun for you to start with 🤣 5mo
Bluebird Thanks @BarkingMadRead i had remembered so little of this book from my prior read that this felt like the first time. So terribly sad! You really helped get us all through this tragic book. I really enjoyed(!?!) this group reading. 5mo
39 likes19 comments
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currentlyreadinginCO
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Pickpick

Tess is really the saddest novel. This was a reread of a favorite from high school lit, it hit differently as an adult. I remember thinking that Tess had the worst plight of all women, I now think of variations of her story as standard female experiences.

Part of me is impressed that a man in 1891 was able to capture the contradictions and difficulties of the female condition this well; part of me is just mad for Tess. Either way, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me.

AmyG Wow is that a beautiful edition. 5mo
BarkingMadRead 😍😍🤣 5mo
Gissy Beautiful edition😍 5mo
58 likes4 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Mehso-so

Infuriating and heartbreaking. Surprisingly modern, though not as much as I hoped—I kept thinking the characters would actually learn their lesson, that Alec is the only one to blame for the “sin” for which Tess suffers the consequences, and they never quite seem to. As always, reading this with the #pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade made it more fun!

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TheBookHippie
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Pickpick

#hashtagbrigade #itsjustsosad

On a gloomy rainy icky day I finished this … the writing is so very good and the story so very sad. I missed so many layers of this in high school. Massive thanks to @BarkingMadRead for pulling us through!!! So pitifully sad … the way women are treated then and now, shameful. I don‘t blame her for her actions at all… poor thing.

BarkingMadRead 😍😍😍 5mo
69 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

A reread for me, and no less devastating, Hardy‘s book focuses on Tess. Tess has no luck in any facet of life, receiving turmoil and anguish just about at every turn. It‘s a sad read, and one cannot help but hope she received her HEA. This book made me sad, angry, and very sympathetic toward Tess. Thanks to @BarkingMadRead and the #PemberLittens #HashtagBrigadr for this #BuddyRead .

BarkingMadRead 😍😍 5mo
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Bklover
Tess of D'Ubervilles | Thomas Hardy
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Pickpick

While this book was an unrelentingly sad, I definitely have discovered the wonderful Thomas Hardy. His themes are quite modern, and I will definitely be reading more of him. Thanks to @BarkingMadRead for being her wonderful self and guiding us through each chapter!❤️❤️
#hashtagbrigade #pemberlittens

BarkingMadRead 😍😍 5mo
AvidReader25 Hardy is wonderful, but he always breaks my heart. 5mo
Bklover @AvidReader25 which one should I read next? 5mo
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AvidReader25 @Bklover I‘d recommend Far From the Madding Crowd or Return of the Native next. 😊 5mo
Bklover @AvidReader25 Thank you! I have Far from the Madding Crowd so that will be the next Hardy! 💙💙 5mo
eeclayton I also recommend Far From the Madding Crowd, it's one of my all time favourites ☺️ 5mo
Bklover @eeclayton That will be my next Hardy!! Thank you❤️❤️ 5mo
69 likes7 comments
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eeclayton
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Pickpick

Heartbreaking and still eerily relevant today. Domineering men, double standards, obsession, and all this written by a man in the 1800s -- just wow. Also beautifully written and the details of farm life nicely captured. Loved it.

Thanks for leading the buddy read @BarkingMadRead and thanks for all the opinions, insights and laughs #pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade , I love reading with you all 💕

BarkingMadRead 😍😍😍 5mo
Bklover I love our #hashtagbrigade! Your review is spot on! 5mo
dabbe Yay for our #hashtagbrigade! 🤩🤩🤩 5mo
25 likes3 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

If you would have told 10th grade me that I would be willingly getting up pre dawn on a weekend to finish Tess of the D‘Urbervilles I would not have believed you. This book touched me in ways teenage me would never have imagined. Thank you @BarkingMadRead for leading us through this one so I wasn‘t stuck with my teenaged eye view of this classic.

BarkingMadRead I‘m so glad! It‘s so tragic, I know it drives a lot of people crazy (me included) 5mo
Bookwormjillk @BarkingMadRead possibly I have been in a tragic mood 😁 5mo
Bklover I love this review! I loved it too😊💙😊 4mo
Bookwormjillk @Bklover 🧡🤎🧡 4mo
69 likes4 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Sunday ch 57-58: Tess and Angel play house #ontherun #itsonlyamatteroftime#angelhidesheraslongashecan #stonehenge #whataplacetogetbusted #pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade

Bookwormjillk Oops I must have been a chapter ahead. I finished today. 5mo
BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk that‘s ok, it was only one extra chapter, I‘m betting a lot of people will finish today! 5mo
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Cuilin @Bookwormjillk yep I finished it too. 5mo
Cuilin I loved these chapters as they ran and hid together. They fact the novel begins with a pagan tradition of the May dance and towards the end at Stonehenge is interesting with all the Victorian morals throughout the book which was so damaging for Tess, I found interesting. (edited) 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly Oh my goodness, Angel ran into a big rock and I go, “it‘s Stonehenge!” I did not expect to be right 😂 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly I don‘t love that Tess‘s stated motivation for killing Alec is “maybe Angel will love me now.” How about “he‘s a horrible, asshole rapist who deserves it,” Tess?! 5mo
BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly 🤣🤣🤣 and also, yes! 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO The only time that Tess gets to enjoy a little happiness with the man she loves with all of her secrets laid bare ... andddd she's running from the law & living in delusion. Perfect! I did like these chapters, though. The image of Tess getting apprehended at Stonehenge has stayed with me since I read this in high school! Made myself safe the one-pager for tomorrow 🤓 5mo
Bklover @Clare-Dragonfly You‘re right about her motivation. I‘d like to see her get really pissed off just once. 5mo
dabbe It's interesting to me how many crucial scene take place “offstage“ as it were, like the rape scene, the killing scene ... even the 5 days of bliss only gets like two brief paragraphs. Hardy leaves us with a lot of imagining on our own. I like that I'm left to fill in the gaps; he truly respects his readers and wants them to visualize--maybe because we'll make it even more epic ourselves. This book will stay with me a long time. 💜 5mo
34 likes11 comments
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jenniferw88
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Mehso-so

As there was only 1 extra chapter, I finished today.

@BarkingMadRead #hashtagbrigade #pemberlittens

I prefer Far From the Madding Crowd!

BarkingMadRead I prefer practically anything! This book always makes my heart hurt! 5mo
epsitawithane My favorite writer. My favorite book from that writer. 5mo
dabbe FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD had a happy ending! This one, AUGH!!!! I love Hardy and his writing, though. Any other recommendations from him? 5mo
47 likes3 comments
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jenniferw88
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#bookreport

Continued Tess
Started Lost Realms
Finished Babel & The 🐧 📖 of 🧙‍♀️!

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Daisey
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Pickpick

This book was almost continually frustrating because I so wanted things to be different for Tess. She tried hard to do what she felt was right or what she had to do, and it never went her way. After recently finishing Clarissa, I didn‘t think I would soon read another book with a man that made me so angry, but Hardy managed to make me detest multiple male characters. Yet, he wrapped it all up in absolutely beautiful and descriptive writing.

Daisey Thanks again to @BarkingMadRead for leading another great #PemberLittens #HashtagBrigade read.
#1001books #audiobook
5mo
BarkingMadRead 😍😍 5mo
dabbe Couldn't have said it any better! I LOVED her and wept for her. #thepowerofbooks 💜💜💜 5mo
46 likes3 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Cuilin Perfect meme. He had it coming 🎵 He only had himself to blame. 🎵 5mo
Bookwormjillk Goodbye Earl 5mo
See All 15 Comments
TheBookHippie 😂 the meme 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly HECK YEAH TESS 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin I betcha you would have done the same! 5mo
dabbe I can't help but think that a knife penetrating into a body is also a sexual act--in the fact that she “raped“ him right back and against his wishes. And right where he had no feeling--his heart. Wow. 5mo
BarkingMadRead @dabbe I love that for her. 5mo
dabbe @BarkingMadRead Oh, man so do I! 💜💜💜 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly @dabbe Oh wow, you absolutely nailed it. Great analysis. 5mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly 🤩🤩🤩 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO "Best chapter so far is a homicide" - my full review of this ? 5mo
Bklover @currentlyreadinginCO 😂😂😂😂 I agree!! @dabbe - Brilliant- I hadn‘t thought of that! 5mo
40 likes15 comments
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dabbe
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Pickpick

If ever I feel even remotely sorry for myself, I will think of Tess and realize how incredibly lucky I am, especially as a woman not living during Victorian/Edwardian England. A beautifully written, yet hauntingly heart-wrenching story of a pure-of-heart woman who is preyed upon by pretty much every person she encounters, especially the Draculean Alec d'Urberville, Tess, you'll stay within my heart for a long time.

dabbe Thanks again for the journey #pemberlittens, #hashtagbrigade, and the illuminating @BarkingMadRead. Can't wait for our next read! 💜💜💜 5mo
Daisey Great review! I finished this morning as well, but I‘m still waiting to review. It is so wonderfully written, yet so heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. 5mo
dabbe @Daisey 🖤🎃🖤 5mo
See All 11 Comments
iread2much Sounds sad. Was it a fiction book? 5mo
Anna40 I loved this one too. Fully agree on feeling lucky to be born now. Great review 5mo
TheLudicReader I first read Tess in hs and I hated her. I found her so annoying. I wonder how I would feel about her now? 5mo
dabbe @iread2much Fortunately yes. 🤩 5mo
dabbe @Anna40 🤩🤩🤩 5mo
dabbe @TheLudicReader Excellent question. I don't think I would have been able to read this in high school because I didn't have the patience or understanding for the drawn-out language or the time period. I have more time and empathy in my older years. 💜 5mo
eeclayton Great review. This story will stay with me for a long time, too 💔 5mo
dabbe @eeclayton 💔 5mo
72 likes1 stack add11 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Tess of D'Ubervilles | Thomas Hardy
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Friday: ch 53-54: Angel is back and on the hunt for Tess #ishetoolate #hermomsaysheismarried #sayitisntso #staytuned #pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade

Bookwormjillk Oh Angel you‘re way too late bud. 5mo
Cuilin Yeah he‘s too late. Hardy is amazing! This book could be told in today‘s world. Alec is the obvious rapist getting away with it and Angel is the nice guy saying not all men. Ugh maybe not all Angel but definitely you!!!! 5mo
See All 10 Comments
Bookwormjillk @Cuilin YES someone should remake this. It really is a remarkable and unfortunately timeless book. 5mo
TheBookHippie @Cuilin I so agree. It‘s timeless. 5mo
Bklover @Cuilin I agree! Hardy seems way ahead of his time. 5mo
Bklover I think Angel is too late! Neither of them deserve her anyway! 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly I understood Joan to be telling her child that Angel has married Tess, not that she‘s married someone else. Of course Tess may very well be living with Alec now ☹️ 5mo
dabbe The narrator says something like Joan and kids are living in a “garden“ area, which is the place that Alec offered them. So ... Tess must have agreed and is now living with the a--hole to take care of her family ... AGAIN ... because everything is always her fault. My heart bleeds for her as a character. Damn you, Hardy! 😢 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO I don't like the sound of this one bit!! 5mo
28 likes10 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Cuilin I love this read along but oh my gosh when does the misery end??? 5mo
See All 12 Comments
Bookwormjillk I have a feeling that note the girls wrote is going to backfire. 5mo
Librarybelle I have to prevent myself from getting the creepy crawly chills every time Alec pops up! Stalker!!!!! 5mo
Bookwormjillk Also I found this biography of Thomas Hardy included in my audible account. Was wondering how a man from the 1800s could write like a 2020‘s woman 5mo
Ruthiella @Bookwormjillk I think Hardy‘s sympathy just shows that calling out men for exploiting the vulnerable isn‘t a new or “woke” idea at all. It‘s been around for a long, long time. 5mo
Bookwormjillk @Ruthiella imagine that 😁 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly Such a creep! How much do you want to bet that Alec had something to do with the rooms being taken? 🤬 5mo
dabbe It seems as if Tess and her family are literally at their final, last straw. Of course they're going to stay with Alec (he left Tess to go talk to the mom), and now Angel is coming back. #whatcouldgowrong #ugh 5mo
Bklover Of course she is!! 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO I am interested in that as well, will be reading more about him @Bookwormjillk 5mo
30 likes12 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Tess of D'Ubervilles | Thomas Hardy
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35 likes11 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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I am not bringing this misery to Disney with me, so I read ahead in preparation… and then there was only own chapter left, so I finished it 🤷🏻‍♀️ #scarathlon #teamcryptkeepers @LiseWorks

dabbe It's gonna go from bad to worse, isn't it? 😢 5mo
33 likes3 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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tpixie Great post. 5mo
TheBookHippie 🎯 5mo
See All 14 Comments
Librarybelle Alec is a stalker. I get the creeps with his intentions and his refusal to listen to Tess. Grrr… 5mo
Ruthiella Typical “you made me do it” , blame the victim attitude. Ugh. 5mo
Daisey I agree that all the blame from Alec was awful, but I had a different perspective on the farming. I found Hardy‘s descriptions of the thresher and the backbreaking hours of work fantastic! 5mo
BarkingMadRead @Daisey it was definitely interesting, sprinkled in among the drama 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly I‘m so glad somebody hit Alec! But Tess didn‘t hit him hard enough. He can still talk 😡😡😡😡😡 (edited) 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Daisey I did think that was interesting! It‘s something I didn‘t know anything about. And he doesn‘t go on… and on… and on like Victor Hugo 😂 5mo
Bookwormjillk Alec is obviously lower than a piece of dirt on the bottom of my shoe, but he‘s not wrong about Angel and his treatment of Tess. 5mo
eeclayton I'm not sure if I'd be happy if Angel came back and forgave Tess for getting raped. He should ask for her forgiveness. 5mo
Bklover It‘s always Tess‘s fault. Everything. And she‘s always going to believe that!!🙄😠🤯 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO That LETTER ! "Your faithful heartbroken" !!! 5mo
36 likes14 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Bookwormjillk Reading these chapters made me physically ill. This guy. Ugh. 5mo
BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk I walked away like three times! Omg it was painful 5mo
See All 11 Comments
Bookwormjillk @BarkingMadRead Thomas Hardy nailed it though. I‘m impressed. 5mo
Bklover Unbelievable. Just Unbelievable. 🤯. I am starting to love Thomas Hardy though, almost as much as I hate Alec! (edited) 5mo
dabbe “I'm sorry I raped you, but now I'm a preacher; oh, now I'm not because you had to up and show your too beautiful face, and now I'm back to being creepy rapist Alec who wants to marry you.“ #wtf 🤬

Is Angel actually going to be an angel and come to her rescue? 🤔 Hmm. #thisishardynotdisney
5mo
Librarybelle This is really the part of the book that made me want to throw the book and scream the first time I read this. This time, I kept exclaiming in disgust so loud that the cats gave me odd looks! 😂 In all honesty, I think these strong emotions that are stirred up from this book are why I like it so much. And imagine - a man wrote this! 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly Can somebody please punch this guy???? Many times?! 5mo
julieclair @Librarybelle You‘re so right. It‘s hard to imagine a man wrote this. And in 1891, no less! I am definitely a Hardy fan. 5mo
Daisey I just recently finished Clarissa, and I thought it would be a while before I felt so much disgust with a character. Now, Hardy has me feeling almost the same about two characters. He definitely wrote it well. 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO I'm curious about how this all was received in 1891 5mo
35 likes11 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Tess of D'Ubervilles | Thomas Hardy
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currentlyreadinginCO #hardymadethiscrapup 😂😂😂, sooo do we think that Alec has actually repented and seen the light ... ? 🤦🏼‍♀️ 5mo
See All 8 Comments
dabbe @BarkingMadRead Alec reminds me of the evil Robert Mitchum who faked it as a preacher in THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. #hellnoindeedy

And I knew we'd see that asshole again, right? Just when Tess is at her weakest. #notagoodsign #atall
5mo
Bookwormjillk Tess has to suffer when Alec gets to “repent” 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly I did not see that coming! I thought the preacher would be the paint guy. 5mo
Ruthiella It was the boots that set me off. She doesn‘t even get to keep her boots. Come on, Hardy! 😢 5mo
KAO I‘m with you, @Ruthiella ! Come on, not the boots too! Just when you think things can‘t get any worse. 5mo
33 likes8 comments
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Daisey
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This quote caught my attention in chapter 40. It‘s an understatement, to be sure, but I was a bit surprised at this point to see any recognition of the men being the ones at fault. Yet, it just made me even madder at Angel, that he could acknowledge this and still not forgive Tess.

#PemberLittens #HashtagBrigade #quote

dabbe Oh, my Lord, that is sooooooooo true in this book! Thank you for this! 🖤🧡🖤 5mo
45 likes1 comment
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BarkingMadRead
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TheBookHippie This is such a sad sad sad story, and I‘m afraid it was and still is this sad for so many women. It hurts my heart. 5mo
Ruthiella This mutual infatuation with Angel makes me think of middle school crushes. Blech. He‘s not worth it. 5mo
See All 7 Comments
Bookwormjillk Why do I think Angel will come back and tell Tess he was sick and it was her fault. 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO Yeahh... I forgot how sad this story is! My copy has a sweet little pastoral scene on the cover (with strawberries and chickens 😒), and I am chuckling at the contrast with the drama within! 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly Ugh, no one will leave Tess alone, whether they want to call her a slut, pretty, or ugly! 5mo
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dabbe
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#Scarathlon #HHC @Clwojick @StayCurious
#pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade

I hear/see the word “vampire“, I immediately think of this jerk in the tagged book the #pemberlittens is currently reading. He's the epitome of a literary vampire without technically being a vampire.

BarkingMadRead He well and truly sucks 5mo
Bookwormjillk That is a perfect description of him 5mo
dabbe @BarkingMadRead 🖤🧡🖤 “Sucks“ ... well done! 🤩 5mo
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dabbe @Bookwormjillk Agreed! 🤩 5mo
Ruthiella Excellent! 👍 5mo
bthegood 🧡🧡 5mo
dabbe @Ruthiella 🤩 5mo
dabbe @bthegood 🖤🧡🖤 5mo
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BarkingMadRead
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Ruthiella Exactly! 😡 I am afraid to read on. 😭 5mo
TheBookHippie She's no Becky that is for sure..... also #ICANNOTEVEN......... 5mo
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Bookwormjillk The worst 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO Soooo sick of Angel and his excuses! He's mad that Tess isn't the pure simple soul of his agrarian career fantasies bc she's a d'Urberville and he's too worried about his his public perception to even see her as a person, when nothing about her past would have become public anyway 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ #everythingisangelsfault 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly I have nothing to add. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 Angel Clare. 5mo
Cuilin Purity culture 🤢 5mo
dabbe Angel's actions are 🤬. By asking Izz to go with him to Brazil, he is inviting her undoing and would make her a fallen woman—the same quality that caused him to cast off Tess! To unthinkingly invite Izz to ruin her life is contemptible, hypocritical in the extreme, and disturbingly indifferent to an innocent young woman's unrequited feelings. Then to rescind the invitation, a wise decision—is equally hurtful to Izz. And what he does to Tess ... 🤬 5mo
Bklover @dabbe Well said!🩷🩷💜 5mo
dabbe @Bklover 🤩😃🤗 5mo
quietjenn Seriously, this dude. 😡 5mo
KAO Unbelievable behavior by (He‘s no) Angel!! 5mo
Bluebird Grrrr! 😡🤬🤜 i wanted to reach into the book and throttle Angel. What a hypocrite! Can‘t believe I thought he was a decent guy…. 5mo
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BarkingMadRead
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Bookwormjillk Poor Tess. She totally should have kept that money. And her dad did she actually marry this one. Ugh, he needs a punch in the face. 5mo
BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk that is what I was thinking, like her dad is such a fabulous human or something 🙄 5mo
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TheBookHippie @Bookwormjillk 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 5mo
Ruthiella Poor Tess. She has no one in her corner (except us). 5mo
dabbe I am 🤮 about Holier-than-thou Angel. #grr And I have a bad feeling that Alec is going to come back into the picture somehow since Angel kept saying “If only he were dead ....“ 5mo
Cuilin I just can‘t with Angel. 😣 Did he think about the woman he was with? What condition did he leave her in? I think he will regret this behavior. I agree @dabbe we‘re not done with Alec. 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly @dabbe I agree… though I wouldn‘t mind if Alec shows up and immediately dies! 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO Can Tess please make a selfish choice at some point! Her parents are the worst & she should have kept that cash! 5mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly Now there's a death I would love! 5mo
Bklover @currentlyreadinginCO I know what you mean! I wish she‘d just take care of herself for once. 5mo
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BarkingMadRead
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Ch 35-36: two chapter of Angel being a dumbass 🤷🏻‍♀️ #isaidwhatisaid #andnowheislettingherleave #noooooooo #sodepressing #pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade

Bookwormjillk She TRIED to tell him. 5mo
Librarybelle Yeah, this is why I‘m not really a fan of Angel. Poor Tess! 5mo
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BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk seriously!!! Such.a.jerk. 5mo
TheBookHippie Boys are stupid 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5mo
Bluebird 😡😡😡😡 5mo
Ruthiella Totally. 😡😡😡 5mo
dabbe Angel is a sanctimonious asshole. Why the hell did Hardy name him Angel? And to think that a woman being raped is WORSE than a man debauching himself during this time period is almost impossible to grasp. These people and their so-called dignity make me want to 🤮. Tess deserves so much better. 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly Dumbass is putting it extremely mildly! I am absolutely furious with Angel. He acknowledges that she tried to tell him and he wouldn‘t let her, and yet acts like she‘s some deceptive snake?! I am absolutely furious with and disgusted by him. And I hate the bit about the “core of logic”… there is NOTHING logical about his changed feelings toward her. I don‘t know if I want to read the book more quickly in hopes that he learns his lesson or give up 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡🤬🤬🤬😱 5mo
Daisey Listening to these chapters on my way to school this morning was a bad idea because I went into my classroom mad. Only after school from now on. It‘s all so frustrating, but it‘s so much more infuriating after his own confession. 5mo
Cuilin Disgusted but not surprised. If he changes his mind not sure he could be forgiven. 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO These chapters were so hard and Angel is the worst! I felt the pain in Tess's statements & experienced so many emotions ... so far I love Hardy's writing and hate the plot that he wrote! My 16 yo self should've been done w men after I read this... 5mo
julieclair Angel. So very disappointing. I was expecting so much better of him. Poor Tess… 5mo
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BarkingMadRead
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Ruthiella What‘s up with those portraits? Did we suddenly step into a gothic novel? 5mo
BarkingMadRead @Ruthiella right?!? And built into the walls? So creepy 5mo
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dabbe I have bad feelings about this. He confesses to his debauchery with a woman, but I don't think he'll be able to forgive her. And his was consensual! There are too many bad omens here: the rain, the rooster (who is white [pure] and red [stained], the guy who knows her that Angel punched, his family not showing up, all the d'Urberville places (isn't there ANYWHERE where their name is not involved?). Tess believes they're on equal footing, but ... 5mo
BarkingMadRead @dabbe I know! I feel like it‘s totally snowballing out of control! 5mo
Bookwormjillk Another day where it was hard not to read ahead! 5mo
Daisey @dabbe So true! The feelings of foreboding just keep piling up. I was surprised by his confession, but it didn‘t at all make me any more hopeful. 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly I hate the other dairymaids being so despondent over Angel, especially since earlier it felt like Hardy was encouraging the reader to laugh at their love for him. Now that just feels cruel ☹️ Also, I really wish I knew exactly what Tess said to Angel. She thinks of herself as culpable, so did she spin it to him that way, or did she explain it in a way that makes it obvious to Angel she was raped? 5mo
Cuilin @dabbe I think we‘re going to see some double standards here much like the body count discussion today. What makes it worse is that Tess didn‘t consent. 5mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly I wonder too if we'll ever know or if it'll be like a Shakespearean scene done offstage. 5mo
dabbe @Cuilin Whereas Angel totally did! If he doesn't forgive her ... 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO Resisting the urge to keep reading!! What a cliffhanger chapter 5mo
KAO After Angel‘s delayed confession (which took me by surprise!), I had hopes that he would be able to better understand what Tess had not been able to talk about (even though she tried to tell him earlier). I fear the worst, however. 5mo
Bklover #yallhesjustadude cracked me up! 5mo
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BarkingMadRead
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Bookwormjillk I couldn‘t figure out why she wouldn‘t want to get married right away. Is she still hoping to tell him? 5mo
Ruthiella I think she knows it will matter to him… 5mo
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Clare-Dragonfly I feel like her mom is not wrong. It actually doesn‘t matter so she shouldn‘t worry about telling him. But also, her mom clearly doesn‘t know her if she doesn‘t realize Tess‘s conscience will bother her forever like this! 5mo
dabbe These stupid 1800s. It wouldn‘t matter now (she did nothing wrong!). This whole purity thing makes me sick. Tess, however, is pure of heart. The truth is going to come out; I just feel it. And Angel (heaven, right? won‘t be able to handle it. 😟 5mo
Bluebird @dabbe I agree wholeheartedly. I didn‘t enjoy reading these chapters because I feel a big black cloud moving in. 🥺. I have anxiety…just waiting for the storm to strike. 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO Agreed! @Clare-Dragonfly 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly Also, it drives me up a wall how Angel is always interrupting her and guessing what she‘s going to say, refusing to think that she might possibly say anything that would surprise him. Let the lady speak! 😡 5mo
BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly yes! Like she‘s just soooooo sweet she couldn‘t possibly have an actual thought in her head 🙄 5mo
dabbe @BarkingMadRead But she'll be good on the farm with those hardworking hands! #oy 5mo
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jenniferw88
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#weeklyforecast @Cinfhen

Continue Tess & Babel
Finish Witches

KathyWheeler How is Babel? I read and liked Yellowface, but I‘m a little intimidated by Babel. 5mo
BooksNBowls I‘ve heard nothing but amazing things about Babel! I can‘t wait to get my hands on it 5mo
marleed @KathyWheeler I read Babel this summer and really liked it! 5mo
48 likes3 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Clare-Dragonfly Tess 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5mo
TheBookHippie I‘m back ! And 🤦🏻‍♀️ Oy. Tess. 5mo
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Bookwormjillk I hate this for Tess. She‘s stuck between telling Angel her secret and maybe risking the life she‘s made and marrying him with a huge secret over her head. This book is making my skin crawl. #StressedForTess 5mo
Cuilin @Bookwormjillk we need that on a 👕 I definitely feel stressed. I thought she would tell all. 5mo
Bklover @Cuilin I thought she‘d tell all too! She‘s making us all verrrrry nervous!😕😦🫣 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO I am so anxious for her 😂 5mo
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jenniferw88
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#bookreport @Cinfhen

Continued Tess & Witches
Finished Telling Tales

Cinfhen 💜 5mo
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BarkingMadRead
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Bookwormjillk Me! Very hard to stop! 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly I just want her to tell him and rip the band-aid off! 😭 5mo
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BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly I knowwwwww ugh! 5mo
Ruthiella I‘m a little irritated, however, at how he is pressuring her. Because WE KNOW her history and what she‘s hiding. 5mo
Bklover @Clare-Dragonfly You said it!!👏👏 5mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Ruthiella Oh very much so. Even if we didn‘t know her history! He‘s putting an unreasonable amount of pressure on her, Mr. Collins-like, and it‘s only mitigated somewhat by the fact that she does love him. 5mo
dabbe This is where I give a big sigh and think “Man, it was tough to be a woman back then.“ She did NOTHING wrong except fall asleep in a wooded area. Why does she have to have the Scarlet Letter “A“ inside her heart? I'm hoping because his first name is ANGEL that he will be able to handle her past. But this is Hardy. Sigh. 5mo
currentlyreadinginCO Ah I want to keep reading so bad! 😂 5mo
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BarkingMadRead
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29 likes5 comments
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Doppoetry
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Pickpick

Just finished my first #Victober of the year and boy was this a depressing read. Tess is such a tragic character. You could say everyone is somewhat of a victim of Victorian society but she was really the one who suffered most. I hated Alec, he was despicable and got what was coming to him, but Angel was also a huge disappointment as a man, refusing to listen to Tess' struggles until the very end.

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Doppoetry
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Chapter 56 is like

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jenniferw88
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Hardy's Wessex is shown on the map, and this site is a good source of information for which real-life towns his fictional ones are based on.

https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/thomas-hardys-wessex-vs-the-real-lif...

#hashtagbrigade #pemberlittens @BarkingMadRead

Bklover Thank you! You always provide us with interesting info! 6mo
Bookwormjillk Thank you! I hope you are feeling better. 6mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 6mo
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BarkingMadRead
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Ruthiella I have to admit, that was a pretty sexy scene. Nice job Hardy! 👍 6mo
Bklover Is anyone else as nervous about this as I am?? It still seems significant that Angel didn‘t remember her right away. 6mo
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Bookwormjillk Why has no one ever carried me across a river??? @Bklover yes for sure 6mo
Clare-Dragonfly So romantic! 😍 If only Tess weren‘t so convinced that not being a virgin means she can‘t be a wife. I feel bad for the other girls, but I suspect they‘ll get over it. 6mo
currentlyreadinginCO Loved these chs! 6mo
Cuilin Finally got to a part that I remembered!! The carrying over the water was swoon worthy to my teenage self I guess, to make it so memorable. Still waiting for the 👞 to drop 😬 6mo
julieclair @bklover 🙋‍♀️Me! I‘m nervous! Unfortunately. 😕 6mo
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KAO
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This is my first read-along on Litsy, and I am glad to find that I am keeping up so far! Just finished chapters 21-22 for today. It really is helpful to keep pace and check in on comments as I go, thanks especially to @BarkingMadRead ! Thank you, @Bklover for the recommendations!

BarkingMadRead I‘m glad you are having fun!! 6mo
Bklover They are fun, especially when @BarkingMadRead is hosting, because her hashtags are so entertaining. Plus when it isn‘t a real cheery book like this one you have plenty of people to commiserate with! 6mo
KAO Finished! What a tragic read—but the paced reading with the group was really enjoyable! (Shared misery and common frustrations with some of Hardy‘s maddening characters helped!) 5mo
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Doppoetry

I only have 5 chapters left, that I'll finish tomorrow. Things are picking up but I'm also very worried 😅