hough not one of Hardy's best-known novels, The Return of the Native remains firmly of his canon, and is a dense summation of the preoccupations that run through all of his work.

The Return of the Native was first printed as serial fiction in Belgravia magazine, from January to December 1878. Each installment featured a one page illustration by Arthur Hopkins, brother of the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. The two men corresponded extensively over the detail of the illustrations, to ensure that they properly complemented Hardy’s intentions. The novel was also serialised in the U.S. in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, from February 1878 to January 1879.

The novel was first published as one volume in a print run of one thousand copies, in November of 1878. It was not a big seller - over 100 copies of this original print run remained unsold five years later. By the time it was published in this form, the story had gone through dramatic revisions, and Hardy again revised the novels in 1895 and 1912. The Return of the Native was not as well received as Hardy’s earlier works, but has remained a part of the literary canon.