This was a crazy insane novel, I couldn't put it down! I love Hardy's style, but I think that he does better with female character development. The impact of Tess, especially her development and her emotion had a much more lasting impact.
If you want heartbreak and to cry at the injustice of the world, then this is the book for you. Read it, read it again then read it once more so you can remember what the pain was like.