This fine novel sets in opposition two of Thomas Hardys most unforgettable creations: his heroine, the sensuous, free-spirited Eustacia Vye, and the solemn, majestic stretch of upland in Dorsetshire he called Egdon Heath.

The famous opening reveals the haunting power of that dark, forbidding moor where proud Eustacia fervently awaits a clandestine meeting with her lover, Damon Wildeve.

But Eustacias dreams of escape are not to be realizedneither Wildeve nor the returning native Clym Yeobright can bring her salvation.Injured by forces beyond their control, Hardys characters struggle vainly in the net of destiny.

In the end, only the face of the lonely heath remains untouched by fate in this masterpiece of tragic passion, a tale that perfectly epitomizes the authors own unique and melancholy genius.From the Paperback edition.