Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lawrence's greatest fictional masterpiece, 14 Aug 2000
By A Customer
This novel has permanently affected me since I first read, and then later dissected and analyzed it for my final thesis at university. The mythical images which are woven into the plot, descriptions, and the actions of the characters are brilliant. Most fascinating, however, are the discussions held between the characters (all with very potent personalities) on such topics as modern life, art, identity, and love. This is a MUST READ for anyone interested in 20th century literature. I cannot praise this novel enough.
|
|
|
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
review of Lawrence's masterpiece Women in Love, 20 Nov 2002
Lawrence's novel sets the scene just before the first world war in England, in atmosphere of anxious ignorance. Lawrence intimately explores the lives of the two sisters Gudrun and Ursula, as they discover what it is to be in love and the confusion of emotion that accompanies it. Gudrun falls in love with the charming Gerald whilst Ursula and Birkin embark on a more cynical and cautious affair; the different personalities of the sisters allow Lawrence to illustrate contrasting approaches to love and lust. The unique style, typical of Lawrence, takes the form of philosophical conversation in different scenarios, which is brought to life by the individuality of the characters and their beliefs. The issues that the novel raises are conveyed in a very personal way that allows Lawrence's mind to shine through his characters and additionally permits the reader a greater incite into the authors philosophies and vulnerability. Lawrence's attention to detail of the two protagonists displays his superb understanding of the human mind and sexual desire. This is a story that is strongly driven and created by its characters, who never allow the focus to waver or the reader to tire....
Other books that might be enjoyed: E M Forster, A Room with a View, D.H. Lawrence The Rainbow
|
|
|
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Not about Women, Not about being in Love", 27 April 2007
Let us not be misled: this book isn't about Women, and certainly isn't about being in Love. This begs the question, of course, "What is WOMEN IN LOVE about?"
"Women in Love" is more complex and intense, than your average novel: it is, arguably, a difficult book, and yet a very rewarding read... The satisfaction of having bent your consciousness into the mental gymnastics of Lawrence's intricate imagery or having somehow, somewhat come close to probing the depths of Birkin's entirely abstract reflections, will be greater than any scruples regarding the length, plot (or lack thereof)that may discourage some readers.
Lawrence delves into the abyss of mankind trying to shake loose the old ideals, to find a new expression, a new style for what had previously (pre-WWI?) been inexpressible, if not inexistent. He reduces the ego to its fluctuating, water-like nature, as we follow the Brangwen Sisters' parallel Love affairs. Through the character of Birkin, Lawrence questions Morality, Humanity and Love, and manifests the paradoxical longing to see the annihilation of the corrupt world ("If only mankind should pass away... Mankind is a dead letter.") and yet be "Salvator Mundi." While Hermione, perhaps the most infuriating character, leads us into Prufrockian reflections of consciousness and spontaneity. ("Better be animals, mere animals, than this nothingness!")
My only reservation lies in the unfulfilling nature of the novel, yet perhaps, that is what Lawrence was going for. Moreover, I find it difficult to assert, with any certainty, whether there is, any hope of Salvation, in the light of the four major characters' fates. I indeed fear that Beldover be a waste land where "the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief," (The Waste Land) as Gudrun says: "Everything fails to materialise... it all withers in the bud."
I can only conclude that I highly reccomend this book-- although to be fair, I know I haven't even come close to uncovering its true depth. I believe that this "dissatisfaction" begs for a re-reading, and is a key element in the novel's "greatness" and claim as a classic. And while I ponder upon the implications of "If one jumps over the edge, one is bound to land somewhere," I shall leave the remainder of the world to "distil themselves in nitro-glycerine, out of very love."
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by D.H. Lawrence
by D.H. Lawrence
by D.H. Lawrence
by Virginia Woolf
by James Joyce
