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The Return of the Native

English BooksWhale Edition by Thomas Hardy

A public-domain original edition centered on Egdon Heath, Eustacia Vye, Clym Yeobright, marriage, longing, provincial custom, and Hardy’s tragic Wessex imagination.

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The Return of the Native

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy is presented here as a clean original-language edition. The work is especially valuable for readers interested in Egdon Heath, Eustacia Vye, Clym Yeobright, marriage, longing, provincial custom, and Hardy’s tragic Wessex imagination. Its themes, historical context, and authorial style give this edition strong discovery value for classic literature and public-domain research.

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This edition is based on a public domain text and has been prepared for digital reading by BooksWhale.

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Why this edition can be shared

Thomas Hardy died in 1928, and The Return of the Native was first published or composed in 1878. These dates support the public-domain basis for the original English source text used in this edition.

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The Return of the Native

by Thomas Hardy

Preview chapterPREFACEPreview

The date at which the following events are assumed to have occurred may be set down as between 1840 and 1850, when the old watering place herein called “Budmouth” still retained sufficient afterglow from its Georgian gaiety and prestige to lend it an absorbing attractiveness to the romantic and imaginative soul of a lonely dweller inland.

Under the general name of “Egdon Heath,” which has been given to the sombre scene of the story, are united or typified heaths of various real names, to the number of at least a dozen; these being virtually one in character and aspect, though their original unity, or partial unity, is now somewhat disguised by intrusive strips and slices brought under the plough with varying degrees of success, or planted to woodland.

It is pleasant to dream that some spot in the extensive tract whose southwestern quarter is here described, may be the heath of that traditionary King of Wessex—Lear.

T.H.

_July_, 1895.

Preview chapterBOOK FIRST—THE THREE WOMENPreview

BOOK FIRST—THE THREE WOMEN

Table of contents

Inside this edition

  1. 01Full text
  2. 02PREFACE
  3. 03BOOK FIRST—THE THREE WOMEN
  4. 04I.
  5. 05II.
  6. 06III.
  7. 07IV.
  8. 08V.
  9. 09VI.
  10. 10I saw a woman on Rainbarrow at dusk looking down towards my house. I
  11. 11VII.
  12. 12VIII.
  13. 13IX.
  14. 14I thought there was only one. Perhaps there are three, or four, or any
  15. 15X.
  16. 16I have never been inside her aunt’s house in my life.”
  17. 17XI.
  18. 18BOOK SECOND—THE ARRIVAL
  19. 19I.
  20. 20II.
  21. 21I shall marry him.”
  22. 22III.
  23. 23IV.
  24. 24V.
  25. 25VI.
  26. 26VII.
  27. 27“EUSTACIA.”
  28. 28VIII.
  29. 29I think I can do no less.”
  30. 30BOOK THIRD—THE FASCINATION
  31. 31I.
  32. 32I have only lately found this out. When I first got away from home I
  33. 33I think he had better mind his business.”
  34. 34II.
  35. 35I must be moving homeward myself.”
  36. 36III.
  37. 37IV.
  38. 38I feel full of fears.”
  39. 39I think there is not that in Eustacia Vye which will make a good
  40. 40V.
  41. 41VI.
  42. 42I am wrongly made, Thomasin,” she added, with a mournful smile. “Some
  43. 43VII.
  44. 44VIII.
  45. 45BOOK FOURTH—THE CLOSED DOOR
  46. 46I.
  47. 47I had known then what I know now, that I should be living in this wild
  48. 48II.
  49. 49III.
  50. 50I am going from home this afternoon, unless you greatly object. There
  51. 51IV.
  52. 52V.
  53. 53VI.
  54. 54VII.
  55. 55I used to go out nursing.”
  56. 56VIII.
  57. 57BOOK FIFTH—THE DISCOVERY
  58. 58I.
  59. 59I could only have saved you from it all!”
  60. 60II.
  61. 61III.
  62. 62I have lost all through you, but I have not complained. Your blunders
  63. 63IV.
  64. 64V.
  65. 65I wish you had not seen quite all that; it reveals too much by half.”
  66. 66VI.
  67. 67VII.
  68. 68VIII.
  69. 69IX.
  70. 70BOOK SIXTH—AFTERCOURSES
  71. 71I.
  72. 72II.
  73. 73III.
  74. 74IV.
  75. 75I know it seems unkind; but, dear Thomasin, I fear I should not be

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