A Particular Eye for Villainy vs The Return of the Native: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Social conditions, History
A Particular Eye for Villainy
A Victorian gentleman . . . A brutal killing . . . When a neighbour is murdered in his own home, Inspector Ben Ross and his wife Lizzie dig deep into his tragic past to find out who is behind the bludgeoning. A…
vs
The Return of the Native
The native of the title is Clym Yeobright, who returns to the area from the bright society of Paris and, as any reader of Hardy knows, all is not smooth. He is quickly taken by and marries the one woman he should…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Return of the Native is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 6 for A Particular Eye for Villainy.
- The Return of the Native has the widest readership — 41183 ratings behind its score.
- The Return of the Native runs the darker storyline; A Particular Eye for Villainy stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Return of the Native
≈ 4h vs 6h for A Particular Eye for Villainy
New to the genre?
A Particular Eye for Villainy
Moderate vs Challenging for The Return of the Native
In the mood for something dark?
The Return of the Native
a darker storyline than A Particular Eye for Villainy
Want something lighter?
A Particular Eye for Villainy
an easier tone than The Return of the Native
Scores by source
| A Particular Eye for Villainy | The Return of the Native | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (41183) |
| Hardcover | 3.3 (3) | 3.6 (45) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (123) |
Reception
| A Particular Eye for Villainy | The Return of the Native | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 3 | 41183 |
| Editions | 3 | 205 |
| Citations | — | 52 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 38283 |
| Pages | 373 | 257 |