The Second Mrs Clare
A sequel to Tess of the d'Urbervilles
'A rollicking good read!' Peter Tait, The Thomas Hardy Society Journal Spring 2023"!
'I was kept riveted to the final page'
'This novel is an inspirational tale about kindness'
'A wonderful sequel to Hardy's great novel'
'Thoroughly engrossing, a fine sense of style'
'A great tale - engaging from start to finish!'
'A must-read for all Hardy fans'
'A delightful read for any Hardy fan, especially fans of Tess'
The 'old characters' are true to their originals, the new ones believable and totally convincing. If Hardy had decided to re-visit Tess I'm sure he'd have approved.
A riveting read! There were many twists and turns in the plot and I was kept riveted to the final page. I also enjoyed the descriptions of various aspects of the Dorset countryside - yes in a recognisable Hardy style but also refreshingly original.
Despite trying to piece together their broken lives after their tragic loss of Tess, the Durbeyfield family find that the fates have turned against them once more. As a direct result of Alec d’Urberville's death, they are faced with eviction from their home. Liza-Lu, desperate for a solution, seeks help from her brother-in-law Angel Clare. Mindful of his promise to Tess to watch over Liza-Lu, Angel invites her to Emminster to stay at the vicarage with a view to coming up with a plan to help. Following the arrival of Angel’s half-sister Martha, events soon change for the worse and Liza-Lu’s life is turned upside down. William Sawyer, the solicitor for The Slopes estate, intervenes, and what follows is a struggle against injustice and cruelty amidst the background of a harsh legal system. Taking place over a period of eighteen months, the lives and destinies of Liza-Lu, William, Angel, and William’s sister Caroline, become inextricably bound together as they encounter a series of startling and dramatic events.
An extract from The Second Mrs Clare - Book One, Emminster, Chapter I
As each mile took them further away from their dear Tess, Angel reflected on the cruel irony, that not long before, he and Tess had walked across this very landscape that they were now passing through. The train was following the northern perimeter of the Great Forest, which lay some five miles to the south. A little way to the north was that dreadful monument, where he and Tess had been discovered. O’ how many times had he punished himself at the thought that he could have so easily forced them beyond that stone circle, towards the north, had not Tess been so desperately tired.
That strange night at the “temple of the winds” had been their last time alone together. Although they were still fugitives from the law, an overarching peace had descended upon them at that desolate place. It was as if the Gods, those Immortals, pausing from their sport, had gathered together to grant them sanctuary from the hands of their pursuers. Reflecting on those last moments with Tess, Angel recalled the promise he had made regarding Liza-Lu. A promise that, at the time, had been easily drawn from his lips, but one that had to be looked upon as a serious commitment.
‘Will you watch over Liza-Lu for my sake?’ she had asked. To which Angel had responded ... ‘I will.’
BACKGROUND TO THE BOOK
One of the questions I was frequently asked whilst embarking on this project was how could I possibly write a sequel to Tess of the d’Urbervilles, one of the most precious, most loved, and quintessential of all English novels? I have always been an enormous fan of Thomas Hardy novels and love the richness of his prose and the overwhelming poetical and emotional power of the stories. These books, with their convoluted narratives full of misadventure, love, and tragedy, have totally captivated me, and subsequently I have revisited them many times. One book that always stood out for me was Tess of the d’Urbervilles, an extremely cruel test of one girl’s search for fulfilment and love in the harsh climate of rural England in the late nineteenth century. The book ends with one of the most heart-rending climaxes to anything I have ever read.
About four years ago my wife Caroline and I decided that we would try to adapt this remarkable story for the stage. We went on to produce the play at The Questors Theatre in Ealing in April 2018. The working script took us several months to complete, from the summer of 2017 through to the first read through in February 2018. After fourteen weeks of incredible commitment from the cast and the creative team, the show opened. The production turned out to be a huge success, and received great critical acclaim.
Once the play was over, it is true to say that we became somewhat bereft. Having spent so much time absorbed by the novel, the story of Tess had become an integral part of our lives. I felt a desire to stay connected to those characters that we had come to know so well, and I thought it would be an interesting challenge to extend their existence beyond the last paragraph of Hardy’s novel. Within a couple of months I started working on the first draft of The Second Mrs Clare.
Mike Langridge
Vivien Geddes published an excellent review of the
production in the THS Quarterly Journal (Summer 2018 )
Read it here.