Tess of the d'Urbervilles book club questions
by Thomas Hardy · a kit for three meetings · 15 questions · printable
Fifteen discussion questions for Tess of the d'Urbervilles, grouped by three stretches of the book of about the same length, with a reading plan, themes to talk about and a sheet you can print. Two good openers: how much responsibility should Tess bear for replacing the family's horse? And what does John Durbeyfield's response to his ancestry suggest about the appeal of inherited status?
The reading plan
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Read and hear the whole of Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman, free
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Meeting 1: Part 1 to Chapter 20
- How much responsibility should Tess bear for replacing the family's horse?
- What does John Durbeyfield's response to his ancestry suggest about the appeal of inherited status?
- How should we judge a family's hopes when they depend on a daughter's unease being ignored?
- What does the hostile walk home reveal about the difference between accepting help and freely choosing company?
- What makes the church whispers powerful enough to outweigh the comfort Tess finds in visitors?
Meeting 2: Chapters 21 to 39
- Is Tess's effort to direct Angel Clare toward her friends generous, self-protective, or both?
- When does persistence in a marriage proposal stop being an expression of love?
- How should we weigh Tess's silence against Angel Clare's mistaken belief that he has heard her whole secret?
- What does Tess's renewed wish to confess suggest about the limits of advice from someone close?
- How does Angel Clare's withdrawal after their exchange of secrets change your view of their love?
Five accounts for the price of one: everyone at home reads and hears the book, with printed copies, large print included, at cost. Try 3 months free
Meeting 3: Chapters 40 to 59
- What might suffering animals allow Tess to recognize that thinking about her own troubles does not?
- How does Tess's continued defense of her husband affect your judgment of her loyalty?
- What distinguishes an offer of support from pressure when the person receiving it is exhausted?
- What does the family's shelter beside ancestral tombs suggest about the practical value of inherited status?
- What would meaningful responsibility require from Angel Clare once he recognizes the suffering caused by his absence?
Your club needs the book
Every format for everyone
The 15-minute summary today, the eBook and audiobook as each opens; one plan covers up to 5 readers in one home. Try 3 months free
The same printed edition
A club set: 5 to 200 copies of this book, printed at cost and shipped together to one address. Prices and club sets
Themes to talk about
Tips for the host
- Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
- Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.
Free for 3 months
Read and hear the whole of Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Five accounts for the price of one: the book to read and hear, and printed copies, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months freeMore book club kits: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus · The War of the Worlds · The Mill on the Floss · All kits
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