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imrogers's review
4.0
While my enjoyment of all four novels in this collection definitely wavered, The Fox is so incredibly good that it bumps this entire book up to 4 stars. The tension is heightened throughout (with The Fox, not the book as a whole), with Banford and March's sexuality left euphemistically in the background while the predatory young soldier sets out to claim his romantic prey. The result is a deeply unsettling exploration of romantic relationships in which the quest to attain an end goal takes precedence over one's real feelings and desires. And the ending, simply put, is masterful.
Of the other short novels, The Ladybird stands out for its gradual exploration of feelings, its unfortunate love triangle, and the uncertainties faced by all three characters. Love Among the Haystacks is a fun artifact from the period that aptly captures its time and place, while The Captain's Doll contains more of Lawrence's masterful exploration of relationships, and what it really means to love another human being.
Of the other short novels, The Ladybird stands out for its gradual exploration of feelings, its unfortunate love triangle, and the uncertainties faced by all three characters. Love Among the Haystacks is a fun artifact from the period that aptly captures its time and place, while The Captain's Doll contains more of Lawrence's masterful exploration of relationships, and what it really means to love another human being.
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