THE NOVELS OF THOMAS HARDY: JUDE THE OBSCURE

The release of Jude the Obscure triggered an uproar, heralding the end of Thomas Hardy's career as a novelist because of its bold exploration of class and sexual connections. When Jude Fawley is forced to marry the untamed, earthy Arabella, who eventually deserts him, his dreams of attending Christminster University are dashed. After relocating to Christminster to work as a stonemason, Jude meets and falls in love with Sue Bridehead, a sensitive, free-spirited woman. Jude and Sue opt to live together rather than be married just for the sake of religious tradition. But they are rejected by society, and poverty soon threatens to destroy them. Will love survive against all odds?