Sons and Lovers

De: D. H. Lawrence

Narrado por: Paul Slack

Sons and Lovers, Lawrence's third published novel, was written by the author at the height of his literary powers. The story of class differences (the relationship between a middle-class woman and a miner) in the tough world of coal mining brought a refreshing realism to literature. It remains a challenging text and is studied widely. It is particularly effective on audiobook in the hands of Nottinghamshire reader Paul Slack.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2008 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2008 Naxos Audiobooks

Not my cup of tea, lad

This would have to be one of the most difficult novels to perform - the deeply personal and intimate nature of the narrative at some moments almost defies verbal expression. Paul Slack struggles manfully, suffusing his reading with emotion, and does keep you in the moment most of the time. I did feel he could have put more effort into differentiating the character voices - the only true distinction he managed, i.e. rough vs refined working class, was by accent, but during some dialogues between Paul and his lovers I was at a loss who was speaking any given line. I can't really say it sustained my interest, but whether Slack or Lawrence is to blame I can't say with certainty. Lawrence has his lyrical moments and can summon up a memorable image but the lack of much in the way of incident or humour for long stretches took a toll on my attention after a while. I would compare it to Wuthering Heights for its relentless intensity, which is a recommendation of sorts I guess. To be tackled with caution.

An excellent version

I heard the BBC radio dramatisation of "Sons and Lovers' many years ago. Paul Slack's reading made it all come back.

I'm disappointed that Audible doesn't have more work by him.

a very rich experience!

Would you consider the audio edition of Sons and Lovers to be better than the print version?

i do not compare audio books with printed versions. imaginations are very individual. i must say that the performance of this book by Paul Slack was quite excellent.

What did you like best about this story?

the story unfolds slowly yet in such rich verbiage that every passage is a fulfilling experience in itself. the writing is lush without being pretentious and Lawrence's descriptions of the inner workings of the characters are incomparable.

Which scene was your favorite?

i found the modest yet intensely complex love scenes to be particularly touching.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

my experience of this this read was transportive. i felt inside of the story, the settings and the characters.

a few glitches with the recording

There are a few glitches with this recording- a handful of passages are repeated. However, I enjoy Lawrence and I thought the narrator did a wonderful job- accents were very well done and characters were easy to distinguish.