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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A captivating masterpiece of naturalism, of obsession and doomed love and complex relationships, of dependent connections that encompass everything and block the world out. One of the few classics that I tore through and still thought about every time I put down the book.
I can see why it was banned though :) love some ~vulgar
I can see why it was banned though :) love some ~vulgar
Never read an Lawrence before and was only reading it as part of modern mrs Darcy read in challenge 2020 as a love writer, really enjoyed it and can not recommend it enough. Will read more of his in the future
Paul is not a very likable guy so it made the whole novel hard to read. Interesting characterizations by Lawrence though.
A beautifully written book about the reality and falsity of human relations. Like a lot of early modernist literature some but drag and the book could maybe have been 50/100 pages shorter.
The chapter ‘The Release’ is the star of the book. It is written with such compassion and beautiful sadness. It come across that this was written as Lawrence’s own mother was dying. The pain and horror is so tangible and vivid.
My first Lawrence book and definitely made me want to read another.
The chapter ‘The Release’ is the star of the book. It is written with such compassion and beautiful sadness. It come across that this was written as Lawrence’s own mother was dying. The pain and horror is so tangible and vivid.
My first Lawrence book and definitely made me want to read another.
It was an excellent read. I enjoyed every moment of it.
A classic, but with a cast of simpering, feeble and supremely annoying characters, it can make for heavy reading at times. While it's well written, the pace is slow and the relationships utterly suffocating.
A quick courtship that deteriorates into an unhappy and stifling marriage that takes up the first chunk of the book. Then children come along, as the mother shifts her affections to her sons. It's quite clear that this will not end well.
The trouble is (and I'm sure that this is heresy of some form), our central characters of Paul and his mother are just so utterly tiresome. Paul Morel is so unlikeable, Gertrude so messed up, Miriam so weak, that you just can't bear to be around them for too long. Even more so when you find yourself going through the same events over and over again.
Poor old Miriam's pupils must dilate a dozen times, and how much do we really need to hang about while Paul gazes at flowers?
On the plus side, I liked Clara, but struggle to understand what she saw in Paul.
A bit of a grind, but if you are in an Oedipal mood, this will be right up your Straße. I should say, the last bit, after all the storm and stress, is wonderfully written, but bleak as can be.
A quick courtship that deteriorates into an unhappy and stifling marriage that takes up the first chunk of the book. Then children come along, as the mother shifts her affections to her sons. It's quite clear that this will not end well.
The trouble is (and I'm sure that this is heresy of some form), our central characters of Paul and his mother are just so utterly tiresome. Paul Morel is so unlikeable, Gertrude so messed up, Miriam so weak, that you just can't bear to be around them for too long. Even more so when you find yourself going through the same events over and over again.
Poor old Miriam's pupils must dilate a dozen times, and how much do we really need to hang about while Paul gazes at flowers?
On the plus side, I liked Clara, but struggle to understand what she saw in Paul.
A bit of a grind, but if you are in an Oedipal mood, this will be right up your Straße. I should say, the last bit, after all the storm and stress, is wonderfully written, but bleak as can be.
This book is hard to define. At times, I felt like I was reading a contemporary book about marriage, then a romance (with almost-purple prose), then a description of terminal illness. The characters were generally well-drawn, but some repetitions irked me (e.g., the number of times Miriam sighs, "Yes."). The character of Paul Morel especially frustrated me, but perhaps the biggest annoyance is the sudden switch at the end.
The narrator of my audiobook, Jenny Sterlin, was too nasal for my taste, but was generally fine.
The narrator of my audiobook, Jenny Sterlin, was too nasal for my taste, but was generally fine.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The mama’s boy main character and mundane descriptions nearly killed me.
No spoilers. I remember liking Lady Chatterly's Lover, and was hoping this would be it's equal. But I think that this is a book that needs to be studied in literature class. The story itself wasn't enough to keep me interested. Pre-war England with coal mines and farms are given very accurate descriptions, but the love affairs are just, well...sublimated into a kind of sloshy amalgam of desire and godliness. Blech.
I'll freely admit that with time and effort, I'd appreciate this as a literary effort. But, good gravy, some of the characters take annoying to another level.
And, as a friend told me:you're often not sure if characters just consummated their love, or if they were just gardening.
I'll freely admit that with time and effort, I'd appreciate this as a literary effort. But, good gravy, some of the characters take annoying to another level.
And, as a friend told me:you're often not sure if characters just consummated their love, or if they were just gardening.