Sons and Lovahs

Yes, it's true. I couldn't say the title of the book without thinking of the Will Ferrell/Rachel Dratch sketches on SNL. Sadly, I couldn't find the videos on Youtube to share (although my search terms did yield a lot of interesting and slightly scary results). These book titles are really triggering some random associations in my brain.

Lovahs.

On to Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. I really liked this book! Maybe my taste is becoming warped at this point in the experiment, but I found it refreshing to read about a character whose flaws and personal tragedies seemed like something that could actually happen to someone I know. For comparison let's consider Jurgis in the The Jungle: dad dies, wife dies, kid dies, he loses his job, loses his house, he starves, his cousin turns to prostitution, etc. Very sad. Relatable? Not really. At least I hope.


Sons and Lovers gives us the tale of Paul Morel and the complications that result in his romantic life from his too-close relationship with his mother. I'm not talking incest or anything inappropriate here - just a man who allows his mom to occupy the primary position of female importance in his life. And really...who hasn't met a guy like that? Evidently, Lawrence considered himself to be one (the work is semi-autobiographical).

Exhibit A

This is yet another case where I didn't care for the first book I read by an author, and then I ended up liking the next one, so I definitely encourage anyone trying to get into the classics to attempt more than one work by the same novelist. I don't really care for early Beatles pop, but I love their later stuff, so maybe I can muster the same open attitude with the literary greats? Except James Joyce. Sorry Joyce, I just...don't like you.


What do you prefer in your novels - relatable characters or larger-than-life drama?


Bonus: Find the full text of Sons and Lovers here.


Baby man image here.