Author Description
To Be Oneself Was A Supreme, Gleaming Triumph Of Infinity This Is The Insight That Flashes Upon Ursula As She Struggles To Assert Her Individuality And To Stand Separate From Her Family And Her Surroundings On The Brink Of Womanhood And The Modern World. In The Rainbow (1915) Lawrence Challenged The Customary Limitations Of Language And Convention To Carry Into The Structure Of His Prose The Fascination With Boundaries And Space That Characterize The Entire Novel. Condemned And Suppressed On Its First Publication For Its Open Treatment Of Sexuality And Its `unpatriotic' Spirit, The Novel Chronicles The Lives Of Three Generations Of The Brangwen Family Over A Period Of More Than 60 Years, Setting Them Against The Emergence Of Modern England. The Central Figure Of Ursula Becomes The Focus Of Lawrence's Examination Of Relationships And The Conflicts They Bring, And The Inextricable Mingling Of The Physical And The Spiritual. Suffused With Biblical Imagery, The Rainbow Addresses Searching Human Issues In A Setting Of Precise And Vivid Detail. In Her Introduction To This Edition Kate Flint Illuminates Lawrence's Aims And Achievements Against The Background Of The Burgeoning Century. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
The narrative follows the multi-generational evolution of the Brangwen family as they navigate the tension between traditional agrarian life and the encroaching pressures of the industrial modern world. Ursula Brangwen serves as the focal point of this multi-generational chronicle, striving to define her own identity against the rigid expectations of her family and the shifting societal norms of early 20th-century England. The narrative explores the complex interplay between physical desire and spiritual longing, tracking the family's development over six decades. Lawrence employs a dense, rhythmic prose style to examine the boundaries of human connection and the internal struggle for autonomy. The story unfolds through a non-linear progression of character-driven vignettes that emphasize the psychological depth of the Brangwen lineage.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Multi-generational family saga structure
- Extensive use of biblical and natural imagery
- Exploration of the tension between the physical and the spiritual
- Focus on the transition from rural to industrial society
- Psychological examination of individual autonomy
- Non-linear narrative progression
- Detailed character studies of the Brangwen women
- Critique of early 20th-century social and sexual conventions
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Discussion often centers on Lawrence's unique prose style, which many readers describe as intense, rhythmic, and deeply symbolic. Critics frequently highlight the novel's focus on the internal lives of its characters, noting that the plot is secondary to the exploration of human relationships and the search for selfhood. Readers often comment on the atmospheric quality of the setting, which effectively captures the transition of England into the modern era. The work remains a subject of debate regarding its frank treatment of sexuality and its unconventional narrative structure. Scholars emphasize that the novel serves as a significant example of early 20th-century modernism, providing a detailed look at the constraints of the period.
Page Count:
542
Publication Date:
1997-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191564877
ISBN-13:
9780191564871
Family Saga
Historical
British literature
Classic Literature
Modernist
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