Grandfather's story of the "Tiger's Wife." She is a deaf-mute girl who was married off to Luka by trickery. Luka beats her. She befriends (apparently) the tiger. Luka disappears. Villagers believe she has killed him and had the tiger eat him. She is pregnant, and the villagers believe that the father is the tiger. Grandfather, under the direction of Mother Vera who is taking care of him, brings the girl baskets of food. Villagers believe her child will be a devil child, though they sympathize with her killing of her husband. Very interesting book.
"To all humankind, Tess was only a passing thought. Even to friends, she was only a frequently passing thought." Angel Clare is a good character. He's "enlightened," in so many ways, but when Tess's confesses her "crime," he reverts to ancestral form . . . Tess's "confession" comes earlier than I expected, right after Angel reveals that he has had a bad moment with a woman. Tess points out the similarity in their transgressions, though his is the only true transgression, expecting forgiveness. She doesn't get it. She returns to her mother . . . realizes she can't stay with her. Thoughts to suicide. Unhappiness that divorce is not possible. Departs. Tragic in that the two, if Angel could just see clearly, would indeed be a great couple, each adding to the other. Nature as a definite force involved in the tragedy. It's not neutral--when things go bad, the very skies mock Tess. Tess as unaware of the power of her bea...
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