Sons & Lovers

[Christy]

Most of the time I was happy reading my assignments for my English major. Until I met Sons & Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. I believe that the entire class was in agony trying to slog through this book. You would think by the title and knowing the contemporary reception of his other book Lady Chatterley's Lover, that Sons and Lovers would be a little salacious and steamy. It was not. And since I was barely keeping awake reading the thing, I missed the main sex scene, because it went like this: "He stood against a pine-tree trunk and took her in his arms. She relinquished herself to him, but it was a sacrifice in which she felt something of horror. This thick-voiced, oblivious man was a stranger to her.

Later it began to rain."

I've never read anything else by D.H. Lawrence. I think I threw away the book.

[Carol]

I loved Sons and Lovers, and Women in Love. I read them when I was in my mid-30's, after a tumultuous break-up with the love (actually, he was the lust) of my life.

Maybe I should file Lawrence under "re-read" on my shelves and see what I think of him now.

[Christy]

I'll grant that reading Lawrence as a stressed-out junior in college probably was not the best environment to read him in, so I might be due for a reread of Lawrence, though I still feel confident in my feelings that I would pass on Sons & Lovers and pick up something like Lady Chatterley's Lover, or another one.

[Jess]

Hmmm... I have read Lady Chatterly's Lover and a few of Lawrence's short stories such as the Ladybird and The Captain's Doll.

Lawrence's style of writing is definitely not what I would call captivating, but upon close observation it is well crafted. I haven't been able to read any of his books quickly, but I'm happy I read them nonetheless.

Sons & Lovers and Women in Love are on my to-read list, and I'm not expecting that they will be quick reads either.