3 Review(s)

D. H. Lawrence took part in the radical rethinking of the novel's form and function that occurred in the first decades of the twentieth century. Always a fiercely independent writer, Lawrence embarked on an uncompromising quest for individual freedom and fulfilment in a modern world. His characters' struggles towards these goals are chronicled in Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow and Women in Love, three novels written before and during the First World War. In this book, chapters on narrative texture, impulse and emotion in Lawrence's characters, the quest for a male/female relationship, class and society, and imagery, symbols and structures, use practical analysis to build and refine our insight into both the novels and Lawrence's passionate concerns. Approaches to the text and techniques of analysis are demonstrated, and there are useful suggestions for further work to enrich your insight into the novels. Part 2 provides the background information you need as a student of these novels: an account of Lawrence's short and hectic life and discussion of the different stages in his literary career. The final chapter summarises four critical views, comparing them with each other and showing how controversial Lawrence's work remains, right up to the present. This book does not sidestep the complexity of his works: it challenges you to confront the unresolved issues he explores, and its explanations and advice encourage you to enjoy the excitement of analysis, in pursuit of ever finer insight, ever fuller understanding.