The Return

Walter de la Mare was a 20th century novelist, short story writer and poet. He is best known for his children's stories. His love of imagination made his children's books very popular, but this also may have contributed to his other writings being taken less seriously. The Listener is his most famous work. In The Return Arthur Lawford falls asleep in a graveyard on the tomb of Nicholas Sabathier. When he awakes he is horrified to find out that he now has the face of Sabathier. This psychological horror novel asks questions such as how do you react when your husband comes home with a different man's face? How is your life effected by your having a different face?