Sons and LoversSons and Lovers
Score Classic
What it's about
In a Nottinghamshire mining village, Gertrude Morel, unhappily married to a hard-drinking miner, pours her love into her sons. The second, Paul, an artist, grows up deeply bound to her, and when he falls in love, first with the spiritual Miriam and then with Clara, a married woman, his mother's hold on him makes it impossible to give himself to either.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library and Bokklubben lists of the greatest books and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It's Lawrence's most autobiographical and admired novel.
You'll love it if you liked
Of Human Bondage
Middlemarch
How Green Was My ValleyGood to know
It's long and intense. The mother's death is painful.
By the numbers
- Readers1 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics82 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller33 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #233 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #558 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1941 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Sons and Lovers worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library and Bokklubben lists of the greatest books and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #1,941 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Sons and Lovers about?
In a Nottinghamshire mining village, Gertrude Morel, unhappily married to a hard-drinking miner, pours her love into her sons. The second, Paul, an artist, grows up deeply bound to her, and when he falls in love, first with the spiritual Miriam and then with Clara, a married woman, his mother's hold on him makes it impossible to give himself to either.
How long does it take to read Sons and Lovers?
About 12 hours (493 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Sons and Lovers?
If you liked it, try Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham, Middlemarch by George Eliot or How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn.