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A review by nejtack
Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Summary: Tortured young man with artistic soul grows up, experiences love and sex, while maintaining a close bond with his incestuous mother. If you enjoy character studies with complex relationships, this might be something for you - if you prefer actual plot, probably not.
Let me start by saying that the premise of the novel is in itself extremely weak, due to lack of a structured story. It follows the young life of Paul Morel, a stand-in for Lawrence himself, who grows up in the Midlands in the late 1800s. His early life is shaped by an abusive alcoholic father, and a mother who raises him and his older brother as replacements for her husband. Later on, Paul finds work as a clerk and develops into a talented painter, while falling in love with two different women (which we will come back to). This autobiographical aspect is occasionally to the novel's detriment, because the author makes no distinction between interesting and uninteresting parts from his own life. The lack of filtering bogs pages down with unnecessary events or descriptions that only tangle up the pacing.
The story's strength lies in its depictions of complex relationships between characters as passionate as they are flawed, relying solely on Lawrence's writing, which does an admirable job at compensating for shortcomings. The prose is beautiful, moving, and flows like a steady stream, though at times it becomes rambling and long-winded.
Love interest 1, Miriam, seems promising when we first meet her; we can see that she's miserable and friendless, but she has a transcendent quality about her that hints at hidden depth. Sadly, any spirit is inexplicably gone by the time she and Paul reach adolescence, and she spends the rest of the book being a door mat. It's a shame, because their dynamic is genuinenly interesting and could have been explored much better if she didn't constantly let Paul walk all over her.
Love interest 2, Clara, is far more convincing - she's independent, reserved and haughty, but underneath the surface there's a strong, colourful personality. She's a suffragette who's separated from her husband, and finds new life through Paul, though they have no chance at a permanent relationship. (view spoiler) She's a pretty good character; I do, however, feel that I could live without at least some of the descriptions of her strong, white arms and shapely breasts.
Paul's mother, Mrs Morel, remains the centre of his life through to the end. She is as pitiable as she is disgusting, treating him as her confidante and husband while jealously guarding him from other women; he becomes so used to this that he can't commit to anyone else. It's saddening to think that Lawrence probably never saw her as an abuser, but as the love of his life, maybe even until his own death.
All in all, Sons and Lovers is a worthwhile read, but requires a bit of patience, particularly at the start. Readers who like psychological, character-driven narratives will probably enjoy it, but those who prefer a strong plot should choose something else.
Let me start by saying that the premise of the novel is in itself extremely weak, due to lack of a structured story. It follows the young life of Paul Morel, a stand-in for Lawrence himself, who grows up in the Midlands in the late 1800s. His early life is shaped by an abusive alcoholic father, and a mother who raises him and his older brother as replacements for her husband. Later on, Paul finds work as a clerk and develops into a talented painter, while falling in love with two different women (which we will come back to). This autobiographical aspect is occasionally to the novel's detriment, because the author makes no distinction between interesting and uninteresting parts from his own life. The lack of filtering bogs pages down with unnecessary events or descriptions that only tangle up the pacing.
The story's strength lies in its depictions of complex relationships between characters as passionate as they are flawed, relying solely on Lawrence's writing, which does an admirable job at compensating for shortcomings. The prose is beautiful, moving, and flows like a steady stream, though at times it becomes rambling and long-winded.
Love interest 1, Miriam, seems promising when we first meet her; we can see that she's miserable and friendless, but she has a transcendent quality about her that hints at hidden depth. Sadly, any spirit is inexplicably gone by the time she and Paul reach adolescence, and she spends the rest of the book being a door mat. It's a shame, because their dynamic is genuinenly interesting and could have been explored much better if she didn't constantly let Paul walk all over her.
Love interest 2, Clara, is far more convincing - she's independent, reserved and haughty, but underneath the surface there's a strong, colourful personality. She's a suffragette who's separated from her husband, and finds new life through Paul, though they have no chance at a permanent relationship. (view spoiler) She's a pretty good character; I do, however, feel that I could live without at least some of the descriptions of her strong, white arms and shapely breasts.
Paul's mother, Mrs Morel, remains the centre of his life through to the end. She is as pitiable as she is disgusting, treating him as her confidante and husband while jealously guarding him from other women; he becomes so used to this that he can't commit to anyone else. It's saddening to think that Lawrence probably never saw her as an abuser, but as the love of his life, maybe even until his own death.
All in all, Sons and Lovers is a worthwhile read, but requires a bit of patience, particularly at the start. Readers who like psychological, character-driven narratives will probably enjoy it, but those who prefer a strong plot should choose something else.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest and Racial slurs