With an Introduction & Notes by Claire Seymour University of Kent at Canterbury The Return of the Native is widely recognised as the most representative of Hardy's Wessex novels He evokes the dismal presence & menacing beauty of Egdon Heath
- reaching out to touch the lives & fate of all who dwell on it The central figure is Clym Yeobright the returning native' & the story tells of his love for the beautiful but capricious Eustacia Vye As the narrative unfolds & character after character is driven to self-destruction the presence of the Heath becomes all-embracing while Clym becomes a travelling preacher in an attempt to assuage his guilt