Women in Love

Lawrence'sfinest,mostmaturenovelinitiallymetwithdisgustandincomprehension.Intheloveaffairsoftwosisters,UrsulawithRupert,andGudrunwithGerald,criticscouldonlyseeasorrytaleofsexualdepravityandphilosophicalobscurity.WomeninLoveis,however,aprofoundresponsetoawholeculturalcrisis.The'progress'ofthemodernindustrialisedworldhadledtothecarnageoftheFirstWorldWar.What,then,diditmeantocallourselves'human'?Onwhatgroundscouldweplaceourselvesaboveandbeyondtheanimalworld?Whatarethedefinitiveformsofourrelationships-love,marriage,family,friendship-reallyworth?Andhowmighttheybeotherwise?Withoutdirectlyreferringtothewar,WomeninLoveexploresthesequestionswithrestlessenergy.AsasequeltoTheRainbow,thenoveldevelopsexperimentaltechniqueswhichmadeLawrenceoneofthemostimportantwritersoftheModernistmovement.