The Return of The Native - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

• Monty Python's 1973 record, Matching Tie and Handkerchief includes a sketch called "Novel Writing". In the sketch, a crowd gathers to watch Thomas Hardy begin his latest novel while an enthusiastic sports announcer provides a running commentary. The novel is The Return of the Native.
• In the early 1970s, Granada Television produced a half-hour documentary in its "Parade" art series entitled Egdon Heath in which an actor portraying Gustav Holst walks across the barren heath while the music from his tone poem Egdon Heath is playing, and sees scenes and characters from novel which inspired the music.
• This novel is mentioned by Holden Caulfield in J. D. Salinger's classic novel The Catcher in the Rye.
• In 1993, the British traditional singer Johnny Collins recorded Diggery Venn the Raddle Man (sic) on his album Pedlar of Songs.
• In 1994, the Seattle band Thrones released a single entitled "Reddleman".
• The band The Rainmakers released a song called "Reddleman Coming".
• The indie band Nightmare of You's 2009 CD Infomaniac contains a song called "Eustacia Vye".
• In the 1967 Indian film Raaz, station master, in the beginning of the movie, at the railway station is reading this novel.
• Musician Patrick Wolf's song "House" references the novel.