It was at present a place perfectly accordant with man's nature—neither ghastly, hateful, nor ugly; neither commonplace, unmeaning, nor tame; but, like man, slighted and enduring; and withal singularly colossal and mysterious in its swarthy monotony. As with some persons who have long lived apart, solitude seemed to look out of its countenance. It had a lonely face, suggesting tragical possiblities.

Thomas Hardy

The Return of the Native

A description of Egdon Heath, a fictional place in southeast England.

More information about this quote

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Original Citation

Hardy, Thomas. The Return of the Native. Belgravia, the Magazine of Fashion and Amusement, 1878.

Current Citation

Hardy, Thomas. The Return of the Native. Oxford UP, 2009.