The Return of the Native
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in Victorian literature and the social landscape of England
- Literature lovers who enjoy immersive descriptions of vast, bleak natural scenery and profound psychological analysis of characters
- Students and scholars seeking to understand Hardy's 'character and environment' theme and the core of his tragic aesthetics
- Readers looking for fiction that goes beyond conventional plot, with philosophical depth and enduring questions about human nature
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking light, entertaining reads with fast-moving plots
- Readers impatient with extensive environmental description and a slow narrative pace
Reading tips
- While reading, consider treating 'Egdon Heath' as a central character and observe how it shapes and determines the characters' destinies.
- Pay attention to Hardy's delicate descriptions of light, color, and seasonal change, which often serve as metaphors for psychological shifts and turning points of fate.
- Beyond the conflict between Clym and Eustacia, also note the alternative philosophies and possibilities of life represented by secondary characters such as Thomasin and Wildeve.
About the publisher
Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 译本序
- 作者原序
- 补遗
- 第一卷 三个女人
- 第一章 茫茫岁月难变其貌
- 第二章 人物和愁烦携手相伴出现在荒原上
- 第三章 乡村的习俗
- 第四章 歇脚收税路
- 第五章 老实人的窘困
- 第六章 天际处的人影
- 第七章 夜之女王
- 第八章 无人的地方发现有人
- 第九章 爱使一个聪明的男人采用计谋
- 第十章 费尽心机苦心劝说
- 第十一章 诚实女人的一次不诚实
- 第二卷 归客
- 第一章 归客的消息
- 第二章 花落村的人们准备就绪
- 第三章 一点声音引发了一个美梦
- 第四章 尤斯塔西雅身不由己前去冒险
- 第五章 穿过月光
- 第六章 面对面站立
- 第七章 美貌和怪异的联盟
- 第八章 一颗柔弱的心显得十分坚定
- 第三卷 迷恋
- 第一章 “我的心便是我的王国”
- 第二章 新举措造成了一片失望
- 第三章 一出老戏的第一幕
- 第四章 一小时的欢乐带来许多小时的悲哀
- 第五章 话语尖刻，引发危机
- 第六章 约布赖特走了，裂痕终于出现
- 第七章 一天的早晨和晚上
- 第八章 一股新的力量搅起了纷争
- 第四卷 大门紧闭
- 第一章 池塘边的冲突
- 第二章 突遭厄运，他却大唱赞歌
- 第三章 她为摆脱愁闷而出走
- 第四章用上了粗暴的压制手段
- 第五章 穿越荒原之行
- 第六章 一次巧合，及其对旁人的影响
- 第七章 两个老朋友的悲剧性会面
- 第八章 尤斯塔西雅听说人家的好运，自己却遭临厄运
- 第五卷 真相大白
- 第一章 “受患难的人，为何有光赐给他呢？”
- 第二章 一道耀眼的亮光使迷茫的内心豁然开朗
- 第三章 一个阴霾的早晨尤斯塔西雅穿戴齐整
- 第四章 一个几乎被忘却的人的悉心照料
- 第五章 不经意地重复了一个老动作
- 第六章 托马茜跟堂兄发生争执，他写了一封信
- 第七章 十一月六日晚上
- 第八章 大雨滂沱，一片漆黑，焦虑的徘徊者
- 第九章 情景和声音把行走之人全引向一处
- 第六卷 后来的事情
- 第一章 不可避免的过程
- 第二章 托马茜在罗马古道边的绿草地上漫步
- 第三章 克莱姆和堂妹进行了一场十分认真的谈话
- 第四章 欢乐又一次降临花落村，克莱姆找到了自己的位置
FAQ
Where does Return of the Native stand in Hardy's oeuvre?
What layers of meaning does the title 'Return of the Native' carry?
What are the difficulties of reading this book?
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. Born in the Dorset countryside, he trained as an architect before turning to literature. His novels are mostly set in the fictional region of Wessex and portray men and women struggling between passion and social circumstance, in a sombre style rich in local colour. His major works include Far from the Madding Crowd, The Return of the Native, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure; the last two aroused controversy for touching on sensitive questions of marriage and morality. In later life he turned to poetry, publishing volumes such as Wessex Poems. Hardy's works are classics of foreign literature and world literature, and have had a lasting influence on later English fiction.
