The Return of the Native
by Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)
- Free to read
- 9 hours to read
- 55 chapters
- Reading level: 6th grade
"The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy is a novel published in 1878. Set entirely on the wild Egdon Heath, it follows the intersecting fates of several characters over one fateful year. When Clym Yeobright returns from Paris, the beautiful but restless Eustacia Vye sees him as her escape from the desolate heath. Their romance ignites conflicts with family and former lovers, including the fickle Damon Wildeve and sweet Thomasin. Misunderstandings, thwarted ambitions, and passionate desires converge in this atmospheric tale of longing and consequence.
- Adultery
- Didactic fiction
- Love stories
- Mate selection
- Wessex (England)
- Mothers and sons
- People with visual disabilities
- Heathlands
Read the opening
Book First: The Three Women
I. A Face on Which Time Makes But Little Impression
II. Humanity Appears upon the Scene, Hand in Hand with Trouble
III. The Custom of the Country
IV. The Halt on the Turnpike Road
V. Perplexity among Honest People
VI. The Figure against the Sky
VII. Queen of Night
VIII. Those Who Are Found Where There Is Said to Be Nobody
IX. Love Leads a Shrewd Man into Strategy
X. A Desperate Attempt at Persuasion
XI. The Dishonesty of an Honest Woman
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About this edition
This free edition of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #17500, released 2006-01-12. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Novels, British Literature.
Other editions: eBook #122 (most read).
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
