This is the 7th Hardy I’ve read.

I had SO MANY thoughts about Jude that I’ve found it almost impossible to corral them into any semblance of order. This was a powerful read and I can only imagine the impact it made during Hardy’s lifetime. Dubbed “Jude the Obscene” and generally causing outrage upon its publication, it was the last novel Hardy ever wrote and is regarded as his most personal.

Jude Fawley is an orphan country boy. His aspirations to study at Christminster set him apart from his fellow country folk and he encounters many obstacles to the realisation of his dreams. As this is a Hardy novel, it’s no surprise that no-one lives happily ever after!

Although Jude is the eponymous hero, this book is as much about Sue Bridehead as it is about him. Through the lens of two failed marriages and one unrealised one, Hardy shines a light on the restrictive nature of marriage ideals, especially with regard to women and highlights the censorious and judgemental attitudes of the time.

The other main female character, Jude’s first wife Arabella Don, is the polar opposite to Sue but is restricted by the same societal norms.

Here’s my attempt at identifying some of the themes I thought arose in this book:

Despite his best attempts at self improvement and education, as a poor labourer Jude is refused access to the hallowed educational halls of Christminster. These “cathedrals” of learning are closed to him and his dreams thwarted by prejudice.

The idea, that aspiring to a university education is in itself “better” than working as a stonemason, shows how the attitudes of the time relegated certain classes of people to set social strata.

Why was being a stonemason not as honourable as a university graduate?

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙣 𝙅𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣; 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙨.”

Arabelle and Sue represent the two sides of this coin. Manipulative Arabella entraps Jude into an unwanted marriage. Is she really wicked or just wise to the ways of the world, what a woman needs to survive and how to go about protecting herself and her future?

Sue is almost above desire, she seems consumed by the ideals of spiritual and intellectual union and abhors the idea of marriage or physical intimacy. Nevertheless, in her own way she ruins a man’s life.

The shadow of Jude and Sue’s predecessors and a family inclination for failed or tragic marriage, hovers over them throughout. Does their acknowledgment of this history influence their expectations of their own fate?

The weight of judgement that women had to endure centred around their behaviour in and out of marriage. There were not many avenues open to an unmarried woman and certain behaviours were expected in whatever role they found themselves. Duty and faithfulness to a husband, meekness and reserve as an unmarried woman. What options were open to one like Sue who sought platonic companionship?

The church as an institution is examined in different ways. Jude aspires to the life of an educated clergyman until Sue challenges many of his ideas about church and religion. Whether a believer or not, society expected the appearance of devotion and those not adhering to this or any other tenets of the church were treated as social pariahs.

There was a fascinating variety of views on sexual desire and sexuality in this novel. The expectation of sex as a part and a “duty” of marriage. The weaponising of sexual desire as exhibited by Arabella. The repulsion to physical intimacy expressed by Sue, yet her ultimate capitulation to both men in her life. The representation of her as “unnatural” because she felt differently.

There’s so much more to say! Hardy’s condemnation of society’s insistence on marriage - whether happy or miserable was compelling.. Sue’s character is fascinating in the context of current awareness around sexual orientation. The consequences for the children and the concepts of punishment and remorse were powerful. Following religious and societal dogma only led to misery for Sue and Jude, yet what harm were they doing to anyone, living outside the norms? - A lesson in judgement and condemnation. 

This was a fascinating read. I can’t say I liked Sue - I found her frustrating and flighty and a bit selfish. I wanted to shake Jude and tell him to stand up for himself more. I wanted to give Arabella a slap. I wanted Phillotson to see his own self-serving hypocrisy.

A real head spinner of a read but I’d recommend as it definitely made me think and has stayed with me since.