The Return of the Native
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy is a classic work published by OUP Oxford on August 14, 2008. This edition spans 496 pages and is presented in English. The narrative follows Eustacia Vye as she navigates the wild Egdon Heath, driven by her desire for a life filled with music, poetry, and passion. Her marriage to Clym Yeobright, a native of the heath, leads to frustration as his idealism clashes with her romantic aspirations, resulting in a complex web of deceit and unhappiness.
Readers will find a richly detailed exploration of the tension between the mythic landscape of the heath and the modern ambitions of its inhabitants. Hardy’s keen observations of the setting contribute to the narrative’s depth, inviting reflection on the challenges of pursuing one’s dreams. This edition features a critically established text based on the manuscript and first edition, ensuring an authentic reading experience. The book is part of the Oxford World’s Classics series, which has provided access to a diverse range of literature for over a century.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘To be loved to madness – such was her great desire’ Eustacia Vye criss-crosses the wild Egdon Heath, eager to experience life to the full in her quest for ‘music, poetry, passion, war’. She marries Clym Yeobright, native of the heath, but his idealism frustrates her romantic ambitions and her discontent draws others into a tangled web of deceit and unhappiness. Early readers responded to Hardy’s ‘insatiably observant’ descriptions of the heath, a setting that for D. H. Lawrence provided the ‘real stuff of tragedy’. For modern readers, the tension between the mythic setting of the heath and the modernity of the characters challenges our freedom to shape the world as we wish; like Eustacia, we may not always be able to live our dreams. This edition has a critically established text based on the manuscript and first edition. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford’s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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