Books

First edition in book form of one of the author's major novels, set, as was Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), in the heathland of his childhood. The Return of the Native first appeared in the magazine Belgravia in 12 monthly instalments from January to December 1878. To please his readers, Hardy changed the conclusion of the novel in later editions, declaring in a footnote at the penultimate chapter that "the original conception of the story did not design a marriage between Thomasin and Venn. He was to have retained his isolated and weird character to the last. Thomasin remaining a widow. But certain circumstances of serial publication led to a change of intent. Readers can therefore choose between the endings, and those with an austere artistic code can assume the more consistent conclusion to be the true one." Purdy, pp. 24-27; Sadleir 1113; Wolff 2989. Three vols, octavo (180 x 120 mm). Contemporary red half morocco, spines lettered and ruled in gilt, floral gilt device in compartments, sides and corners ruled with twin gilt fillets, marbled sides and endpapers, top edges gilt. Map frontispiece by the author. Bound with half-titles. Vol. II bound without rear ad leaf. A little rubbing and wear to extremities, neatly retouched, foxing to outer leaves, margins mildly toned, else clean, small paper restoration to upper outer corner of vol. II p. 263, not affecting text. A very good copy indeed.

The Return of the Native is one of Thomas Hardy's novels of character and environment, first published as a serial in the magazine Belgravia, a publication known for its sensationalism, and was presented in twelve monthly installments from January to December 1878. The novel follows the lives of people in the fictional Egdon Heath, a symbol of Hardy's vision of nature and human passions.