Jude the Obscure (1895)
0.2048Canon Score · ranked #78 all time
Aggregated from 6 of 14 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the book
Hardy's last work of fiction, Jude the Obscure is also one of his most gloomily fatalistic, depicting the lives of individuals who are trapped by forces beyond their control. Jude Fawley, a poor villager, wants to enter the divinity school at Christminster. Sidetracked by Arabella Donn, an earthy country girl who pretends to be pregnant by him, Jude marries her and is then deserted. He earns a living as a stonemason
Why it ranks #78
Every list on which Jude the Obscure appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| BBC Big Read Top 200 (2003) | Editorial list | #111 / 200 |
| OCLC/WorldCat Top 500 Novels (2019) | Editorial list | #131 / 500 |
| Guardian 1000 Novels (2009) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| 1001 Books You Must Read (union) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| Bloom, The Western Canon (1994) | Editorial list | Selected |
| Observer 100 Greatest Novels (2003) | Editorial list | Selected |