The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
This classic novel is set in the rustic rural backdrop of Egdon Heath and revolves around the life of Clym Yeobright, a successful diamond merchant who returns to his native land from Paris. His return sparks a chain of events involving love, ambition, betrayal, and tragedy. His love interest, Eustacia Vye, dreams of escaping the monotonous rural life, while his mother disapproves of their relationship. The novel explores the themes of love, fate, chance, and the clash between individuals' aspirations and societal expectations.
The 739th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 522
This book was first published in 1878
16 Lists
- score: 160 -- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time In English - 2026 (Weight: 160)
- score: 99 -- Famous Authors Name Their Favorite Novels(from 1915) - 1915 (Weight: 125)
- score: 74 -- William H. F. Lamont’s 100 Best Novels (1947) - 1947 (Weight: 70)
- score: 63 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 42 -- 150 Great Reads - 1988 (Weight: 40)
- score: 28 -- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life - 2019 (Weight: 28)
- score: 10 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- 101 of the World's Greatest Books (1950) - 1950 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- Masterpieces of World Literature - 1991 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 10)
- score: 8 -- One Hundred Best Books (1916) - 1916 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Well-Educated Mind - 2003 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time - 1993 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Must-Read Classics, as Chosen by our Readers - 2022 (Weight: 1)