<div><i>The Return of the Native</i> may be Thomas Hardy's finest writing. His descriptive and lyrical powers are at their height, his evocation of the wilds of Egdon Heath unmatched, his dissection of Eustacia and Clym's marriage unimpeachable. Perhaps nowhere else is Hardy's point that the universe is simply indifferent more compellingly made. Winner of the British Spoken Word Publishing Association's “Talkie Award” for Best Unabridged Classic Recording, this performance was commended by the Financial Times as “right for this tragic story of passion and loss.”</div>