“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

An article about Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles: a spoiler-free plot overview, an analysis of the main characters, key scenes, and central themes — love, guilt, social injustice, and double standards. It will help you understand why Tess’s tragic story still feels so relevant and deeply moving today. Suitable for school and university students, as well as anyone who loves classic literature.