Jude the ObscureJude the Obscure
Score Classic
What it's about
Jude Fawley, a poor young stonemason in the English countryside, dreams of studying at the great university at Christminster, but the colleges won't admit a working man. Trapped into an early marriage, he falls in love with his free-spirited cousin Sue, and they try to live together outside the rules of marriage and church, with tragic results.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It caused such outrage that Hardy stopped writing novels altogether. It's his darkest, most modern book.
You'll love it if you liked
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Sons and LoversGood to know
It's bleak, and one scene involving the children is among the most shocking in Victorian fiction.
By the numbers
- Readers17 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller36 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Thomas Hardy
Tess of the D'UrbervillesThe Mayor of CasterbridgeIf you like this, read next
Middlemarch
G.
Howards End
The French Lieutenant's Woman
The Red and the Black
Sentimental EducationExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Jude the Obscure worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #2,131 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Jude the Obscure about?
Jude Fawley, a poor young stonemason in the English countryside, dreams of studying at the great university at Christminster, but the colleges won't admit a working man. Trapped into an early marriage, he falls in love with his free-spirited cousin Sue, and they try to live together outside the rules of marriage and church, with tragic results.
How long does it take to read Jude the Obscure?
About 13 hours (534 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Jude the Obscure?
If you liked it, try Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy or Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence.