Tess of the D'Urbervilles

I bought this book yesterday from Barnes and Noble bookstore.

The author of this book is Thomas Hardy. It was published in book form in 1912. The novel starts off with a middle aged man walking from one place to another in the English country side. The man is met by another man on a grey mare. The man on the horse happens to be someone who looks up family histories. He tells the middle aged man that he is descended from an ancient, knightly family of d'Urbervilles. The man tells him that at one time the d'Urbervilles owned a lot of land and belonged to the upper echelons of society. Now, though, the family is pretty much extinct, he is told. The middle aged man goes by the name Durbeyfield which is what the name d'Urbervilles has become. The middle aged man is excited to hear that he has noble ancestry. Tess is his oldest daughter and he has five other children. The evening he hears this news he goes to drink and his wife joins him. Tess participates in a village dance that evening. The parents are late in coming back from the bar so Tess sends her brother Abraham in search of them. When Abraham does not return Tess goes in search of them. This is an extremely interesting book. It is unputdownable. I had to study this book in college. Thomas Hardy is a great writer. I was inspired to buy this book yesterday because yesterday morning I watched a Gilmore girls episode where Rory is showing all her books to her grand father. Her dresser drawers are full of neatly arranged books. After I finish this book I am planning to read other books by Thomas Hardy. Hope you have a lovely day!