An unforgettably powerful tragedy, Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one of the great classics of the late nineteenth century. This edition features illustrations by Sir Hubert von Herkomer and Joseph Syddall, and an afterword by Philip Mallett, editor of the Thomas Hardy Journal. Tess Durbeyfield's father forcibly sends her off to work for the wealthy D'Urberville family, hoping to alleviate their poverty and perhaps secure her a marriage to the cruel and manipulative Alec D'Urberville. His terrible assault upon her, and the subsequent child, form the terrible heart of Tess's tragic life - as family, love and future are taken away from her by the repressive mores of Victorian society. Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.