100 Books Every Woman Should Read - Sons and Lovers ***

"More about sons than lovers this novel clearly illustrates the potential tragedy of loving one's children too selfishly. A mother is discontent in her own marriage and sows discontent in her sons."

This book is a wonderful argument against pre-marital sex. It is also a good argument against hasty marriage, bad parenting, extramarital affairs, divorce, and general stupidity. It is so because it vividly portrays the consequences of these terrible choices.

The author (D.H. Lawrence) is an extremely good writer. I absolutely loved how he really put me inside the characters' heads. I knew exactly what their thoughts, experiences, feelings, emotions, motivations, and ideas were. It was really fascinating. I think anyone interested in psychology would love this book. The book is semi-autobiographical which is why the author was able to portray with such acute accuracy the thoughts and experiences of the characters; because they were, in fact, his own thoughts and experiences. (That said, from what I've heard of Lawrence's other books I would definitely NOT suggest reading them.)



I feel that I now better understand the people I know who come from broken homes. I don't understand them in the sense that I now condone the way they are living their lives but rather in the sense that I have a better understanding of their motivations and of how truly hurt they are. I also feel that I have a better understanding of exactly how being in a broken home affects the children and how a child's relationship with his/her mother and father individually affects the child. The book also really depicts the importance of fathers, by depicting what happens when they shirk their responsibilities. To paraphrase the great Professor Cassidy: the majority of people who have problems have father issues.


The book should get you to think, both about the issues that I mentioned above and about yourself and your own character flaws. Not a single character in this book was a truly good character. They were all substantially flawed.


I do have to say I was kind of disappointed with the ending. Most of the loose ends were tied up but the author left one big one hanging, namely, the main character's life. Nothing was resolved for him. The last sentence was something along the lines of: Paul walked down the street. The End. I felt like the book ended but the story didn't, it just stopped abruptly. This is probably because the book was semi-autobiographical and the author had not figured out his own life so he didn't have any answers to offer for the issues that he/the main character were dealing with, hence, he couldn't write a really satisfying ending.



This is definitely a sad book, my brother would even classify it as depressing. However, it does make a point, as opposed to just being mindless depression (however I would recommend doing something fun after reading it - like going to see Toy Story 3 which I highly recommend!).


Now, this book would definitely be rated PG-13 but I think it's worth reading. Just be warned that there are definitely some scandalous parts. There are some parts of the book that I would certainly have tweaked, but overall it was very good so I give it three stars.


Some good quotes:


1) "Why don't you be more manly? To do nothing but find fault with a girl and then pretend you're engaged to her!"



2) "She is like that, and if you choose her - well, you can't grumble."



3) "'You think she's a man-hater?' 'She thinks she is.'"


4) "He could not leave her, because in one way she did hold the best of him. He could not stay with her because she did not take the rest of him."


5) "She sort of wants me so much that I can't give myself."




6) [In speaking of their affair] "But is it me you want, or is it It?"



7) "He became, not a man with a mind, but a great instinct."