The Return of the Native [Paperback]

There was a time, before iPods, Walkmans, TV, radio, record players, in which workers (usually women) that were assigned to long hours of menial labor would assign one amongst them to read a book to the rest. The Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy's sixth novel, would be a terrific choice for such a reading group. Few in the 21st century have the leisure, or the inclination, to delve into a tale in which many pages might be given to the description of a natural scene, or to the intricate development of the personalities of the main characters of this book. But if there were a modern reader that either had, or made, time to read this book at the deliberate and careful pace that is required to experience its depth and richness, that reader would be richly rewarded. As was I.

Thomas Hardy, better known for Tess of the D'Urbervilles, was one of the most influential of the English authors of the 1800's. Both D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf pay him homage and cite him as a source of their inspiration. His stories can be explored on two levels, both levels very accessible to the moderately experienced reader, neither level involving a journey into the deep complexities of books such as Pinchon's Gravity's Rainbow or James Joyce's Ulysses.

The first level of The Return of the Native: it's simply a wonderful tale. For the price of a tiny bit of patience, as Hardy's narrative begins to unfold the reader receives a rich story involving integrity, duplicity, humor, passion, selfishness and selflessness, nobility and narcissism, as well as the consequences of impetuous action and the rewards of patient persistence. As a well told story it stands on its own and stands proudly, with or without the embellishment of scholarly opinion or critical review.

The second level: Hardy infuses the story with his philosophy of the relationship between nature and mankind, his criticisms of the tragic consequences of societally ordained values (Victorian values colliding with human desires and capabilities), and beautiful symbolism. For those who feel that plots are not the core of a novel but merely scaffoldings upon which to hang literary/philosophical schools of thought and layers of symbolism, The Return of the Native serves well as a cerebral playground.

Taken at the first level, The Return of the Native is an absorbing tale complete with unpredictable twists of plot, human souls whose fates are determined by letters that arrive moments too late, and bouts of comic relief.

At the second level, The Return of the Native is rich in philosophy, anthropology, even theology.

Take both levels together, and you have what is deservedly called a classic. The word classic makes many cringe. No need to recoil from The Return of the Native: this story is fascinating and rewarding for any who are patient enough to let its rich flavors and constructions emerge at a pace reflective of an era gone by.

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