Sons and Lovers

Sons and Lovers is a 1913 novel by English author D. H. Lawrence. The novel explores the relationship between Gertrude Morel and her son Paul, who live in a small mining town in North England at the turn of the 20th century. Though met with a lukewarm response on release, Sons and Lovers has since been critically reappraised as one of Lawrence’s most important works and has been adapted for film and television.

This guide refers to the 2022 Vancouver: Royal Classics edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide refer to alcohol addiction, domestic violence, death, and involuntary euthanasia.

Plot Summary

Sons and Lovers is set in a small mining town in North England and begins in the late 1800s. Gertrude meets and marries a miner named Walter Morel. At first, he is a charming and warm young man. He does not drink, and Gertrude is happy to be around him. Early in their marriage, however, they begin to drift apart. She discovers that he has lied to her about his debts and wages, meaning that her life is more constricted than she ever imagined. They begin to quarrel, and Walter begins to go straight to the bar after each workday while Gertrude is left at home to raise the children.