Sons And Lovers Beyond World's Classics

D H Lawrence, Beyond Words Press — 2020

Called the most widely-read English novel of the twentieth century, D. H. Lawrence's largely autobiographical Sons and Lovers tells the story of Paul Morel, a young artist growing into manhood in a British working-class community near the Nottingham coalfields. His mother Gertrude, unhappily married to Paul's hard-drinking father, devotes all her energies to her son. They develop a powerful and passionate relationship, but eventually tensions arise when Paul falls in love with a girl and seeks to escape his family ties. Torn between his desire for independence and his abiding attachment to his loving but overbearing mother, Paul struggles to define himself sexually and emotionally through his relationships with two women-the innocent, old-fashioned Miriam Leivers, and the experienced, provocatively modern Clara Dawes. Heralding Lawrence's mature period, Sons and Lovers vividly evokes the all-consuming nature of possessive love and sexual attraction. Lushly descriptive and deeply emotional, it is rich in universal truths about human relationships.

Reviews

Clay Carey@clayclay

Jul 24, 2024

I know this is a decisive book but it was just perfect to me. The projection and insecurity and attachment feels so genuine

Jeni Enjaian@jenienjaian

Oct 30, 2021

I really did not enjoy this book at all. When I first started reading I thought that I might but it quickly devolved. Here are the complaints/critiques that I have about the book in no particular order. 1. For such a long book, Lawrence achieves very little depth. 2. The marriage briefly and shallowly described (the parents) is stereotypical Irish. I know that this book is supposed to be semi-autobiographical but this fact still rubbed me the wrong way. 3. Each character's motivations for his actions even when stated felt obscured and never truly explained. 4. The constant back and forth that continued through over two hundred pages between characters such as Paul and Miriam drove me absolutely nuts. I kept wanting to scream at them to make up their mind or at the very least put some conviction behind their actions. 5. Speaking of relationships, the relationship between Paul and his mother, especially as described at certain points late in the book, was creepy. It grossed me out really and made very little sense in the context of the book at that point. 6. Nothing in the book felt concrete or remotely normal. 7. The narrative is eminently readable but I found no reason to read it beyond a desire to read through the classics.