[all three American editions] TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES. A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented

1893. Illustrated. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1892. (421 pages of text). PLUS: New York: Harper & Brothers, 1892. New and Revised Edition. (455 pages of text). PLUS: New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893. New and Completely Revised Edition. (457 pages of text). Original terra-cotta cloth decorated in black.

TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES was way ahead of its time. The reading public, both in the UK and in the US, was not prepared to read about Tess's rape by her cousin Alec, about a baby ("Sorrow") born as a result, about the death of Sorrow, about the ensuing murder of Alec by Tess, and about Tess's execution. Hardy would write just one more novel, likewise way ahead of its time -- JUDE THE OBSCURE in 1896: Jude and his cousin Sue live together despite each being otherwise married, his unknown child from his marriage ("Little Father Time") joins the family only to decide that "because we are too menny," he must kill his two half-siblings and then himself. Thereafter, Hardy swore off writing fiction for the remaining 32 years of his life. The First American Edition (January 1892, 421 pages) consisted of the text (and illustrations) that had appeared serially in family-oriented Harper's Bazaar. Excluded are many events that had been in the (November 1891) London three-decker, which were "more especially addressed to adult readers" -- including two pivotal ones: Tess's seduction/rape by her cousin Alec, and the baptism and death of the resulting baby. The book thus makes no sense at all. The "New and Revised Edition" (May 1892, 455 pages) restores these two major events but leaves the rest of the text bowdlerized. Finally, the "New and Completely Revised Edition" (1893, 457 pages) gets the text more or less back in line with the English edition -- and is thus sought as the actual First American Edition of the book as Hardy wrote it. These Harper editions also constitute the first illustrated edition (since the English edition was unillustrated); the book is furthermore sought as an example of a binding designed by Margaret Armstrong. All three volumes are in near-fine condition (very light wear at the extremities, occasional light cover soil, first volume's rear endpaper cracked, minor wear to the margin of one plate in the second volume). See Purdy p. 76; Gullans & Espey 112.