D. H. Lawrence: The Early Years 1885–1912: The Cambridge Biography of D. H. Lawrence

by John Worthen

The first volume of the three-volume Cambridge Biography of D. H. Lawrence was originally published in 1991, and draws on a wide range of documentary and oral sources, many of them hitherto unpublished, to reveal a complex portrait of an extraordinary man. It describes his upbringing in a small colliery town in Nottinghamshire, his years spent as a teacher and his disastrous sexual experiments with Jessie Chambers, Helen Corke and Alice Dax, as well as providing a radical account of his early relationship with Frieda Weekley, Lawrence’s ‘woman of a life-time’. It ends with the completion of his great autobiographical novel Sons and Lovers. This volume has already established itself as the most complete and authoritative account available.

Genres: Biography

692 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 1991

Reviews

[Bookthesp1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and probably definitive volume covering Lawrence's early life and times and dealing (unsurprisingly) with his relationship with women such as Jessie Chambers.
Excellent use of sources and meticulous scholarship- but also readable and fluent.

[Gary Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads Review, “D. H. Lawrence The Early Years 1885-1912 (volume 1 of 3) by John Worthen

Outstanding first volume of the life of D. H. Lawrence in the three volume Cambridge biography. Not for entertainment. The life of the writer is going to be deeply interesting for the curious and disciplined reader. Requires a great deal of time and patience. My own personal shallow knowledge of Lawrence inhibits a full and meaningful understating. However, as a reading fan of Lawrence I at least had a basic awareness of Lawrence’s work. The biography draws from his literature and juxtaposes this with his life. An ordinary boy living in a very strict and captive society who due to circumstance and good fortune breaks free of his social environment and somehow overcomes so many of the prejudices and practical obstacles that the society of his day placed around class and conformity of existence. Engaging biography with so much more to come. A heavy and dense biographical narrative. I enjoyed volume one and started volume two right after but I had to abandon it for a break as volume two gets deeper into the juxtaposition between literature and life. I need a break. Of course will get back into volume two as I find Lawrence an extremely enigmatic early 20th century author who created a great literature whilst suffering social, financial and physical challenges beyond the norm. Wonderful insights and a magnificent historical narrative. Bought from Abbey’s, York Street, Sydney for $81.95 (softcover). Enjoy.