Reviews

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

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karfiddler's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

First 100 pages were slow but it’s well worth persevering!

an0987's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Beautifully written but the characters didn’t feel fleshed out enough, especially compared to those in Hardy’s other books

Edit: Somehow Hardy’s books seem to hit me harder a few days after reading. I now find myself reflecting often on the characters and their motivations, and find myself a lot more sympathetic to them all around.

jmm11's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

4.5

aislingnuttall7's review against another edition

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4.0

Good tragic plot, bit slow getting there though.

allan_p's review against another edition

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4.0

"And even while they sit down and weep by the waters of Babylon, invent excuses for the oppression which prompts their tears."

jo_doth_read's review against another edition

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4.0

Sparknotes saved me on this one. I was so confused in the first few chapters. Hardy tends to do that with me. Once I got oriented with the story, it went much better. This is my second Hardy read. I enjoyed this MUCH more than Under the Greenwood Tree. I was also able to treat myself to the movie afterwards, which was nice. But, the characters, in the book, were quite different, in my opinion.