Project Gutenberg 2006-03-08 Public domain in the USA. 1381 Hardy, Thomas 1840 1928 The Return of the Native Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Native John Hamm and David Widger "The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy is a novel written in the late 19th century (Victorian era). The story is set against the backdrop of the somber and mysterious Egdon Heath, exploring themes of love, despair, and human connection within a deeply rural and reflective setting. The central figures introduced in the beginning include the old, bowed man who walks along the heath and the reddleman, a character marked by his unusual profession and the mystery surrounding his travels, suggesting a connection to the fate of a woman named Thomasin. The opening of the novel paints a vivid picture of Egdon Heath during twilight, reflecting the deep emotional landscape that will be explored throughout the narrative. The old man, observed traversing the desolate heath, meets the reddleman, who carries a secret involving a young woman in his van. Through their dialogue, we learn that the young woman has fled from a troubling situation, hinting at the complexities of relationships at play. As the heath comes alive with the preparations for Bonfire Night, social conversations weave in tidbits about love, marriage, and the characters of the community, laying the groundwork for the tensions and dramas that will unfold in this captivating tale. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 80.1 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Adultery -- Fiction Didactic fiction Love stories Mate selection -- Fiction Wessex (England) -- Fiction Mothers and sons -- Fiction People with visual disabilities -- Fiction Heathlands -- Fiction PR Text Category: Novels Category: Classics of Literature Category: British Literature 885124 2025-07-01T04:19:17.961261 text/html 929813 2021-03-30T10:39:55 text/html; charset=utf-8 604743 2025-07-01T04:19:27.114224 application/epub+zip 605861 2025-07-01T04:19:18.971318 application/epub+zip 467271 2025-07-01T04:19:18.465285 application/epub+zip 805824 2025-07-01T04:19:33.691225 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 760448 2025-07-01T04:19:26.675240 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 621913 2022-09-01T04:23:13.318293 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 838993 2025-07-01T04:19:17.102281 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 838940 2021-03-30T10:41:33 text/plain; charset=utf-8 18204 2025-07-01T04:19:33.824172 application/rdf+xml 15314 2025-07-01T04:19:18.580252 image/jpeg 2080 2025-07-01T04:19:18.521268 image/jpeg 586790 2025-07-01T04:19:18.031314 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia