The Return of the Native

Description

Penguin Classics relaunch. THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE was written towards the beginning of Hardy's career as a novelist and can be considered one of his most representative works. In this novel, Hardy's tragic vision is powerfully and narrowly focussed on Egdon Heath and the men and women who live on it. Set against the backdrop of the Heath and the impersonal and eternal forces it represents, the fates of Eustacia Vye, Diggory Venn, Clym Yeobright - the returning 'native' - and others are inexorably played out.

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was a prolific novelist and poet whose works include 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' and 'Jude the Obscure'. Penny Bouhmelha is Professor of English at the University of Adelaide and has published work on Hardy and women.

"This is the quality Hardy shares with the great writers...this setting behind the small action the terrific action of unfathomed nature." --D. H. Lawrence