The Prussian Officer and Other Stories (3) (English Edition)
D. H. LawrenceJul 2024
Rating 4.1- Word count
- 23K words
- Chapters
- 13
Tags
Foreign Literature Homosexual DesireDesire and RepressionHuman NaturePsychological ConfrontationPsychological InsightPower OppressionShort StoriesEnglish OriginalGerman SettingWartimeSummary
This collection brings together classic short fiction by D. H. Lawrence, author of Lady Chatterley's Lover. Presented in English, it is well suited to English-language readers. "The Prussian Officer" portrays barracks life in wartime, yet it offers no harrowing scenes of battle or the smoke and blood of army life; instead it stages a tense psychological confrontation between a Prussian officer and his orderly. The story is a strange, reticent psychological study of homosexual love—and, more strikingly, the two men are locked in a sadomasochistic bond.When Lawrence finished the story and sent it to the director Garnett, he told him it was a short story that surpassed his previous work. Here readers can see Lawrence's characteristic delicate psychological observation and analysis, his sympathy for ordinary soldiers, and his earnest, sincere pursuit of the true meaning of life.
Editor's review
This short story collection by D. H. Lawrence is presented in its original English. The title piece, "The Prussian Officer," avoids direct battlefield scenes and instead focuses its force on the suppressed, taut psychological struggle between an officer and his orderly—reading like a silent war of attrition. Lawrence's signature fine-grained psychological analysis is on full display here: a glance or an act of obedience can carry the entanglement of power and desire, while his sympathy for the plight of lower-ranking soldiers is threaded through the narrative's gaps. The English edition preserves the original's rhythm and texture of language; for readers who want to sharpen their feel for English through literary reading, it is a choice that balances storytelling with language learning. Best read slowly in quiet hours; each story is short, so you can move through them one by one, savoring the subtle shifts in relationships afterward—more rewarding than chasing plot twists.Who it's for
A good fit for
- English learners who want to improve literary reading skills through English short stories
- Literary readers interested in Lawrence's work and psychological portrayal
- Readers who prefer restrained narration and inner character struggles
- Those who need short-story material for close reading or book club discussion
Not a good fit for
- Military-fiction readers expecting battle scenes and intense action
- Readers with weak English foundations seeking simple graded readers
- Casual readers who prefer light, brisk reading experiences
Reading tips
- Read one story through first for plot, then revisit the psychological passages to feel Lawrence's narrative rhythm.
- Keep pen and paper handy to mark unfamiliar words and key sentences, then retell the shifts in relationships in your own words.
- Read stories separately, leaving time to digest each one rather than finishing in a single sitting.
Contents
- 版权信息
- The Shades of Spring
- I
- II
- III
- Second Best
- The Shadow in the Rose Garden
- A man approached, hastening.
- Goose Fair
- I
- II
- III
- IV
FAQ
Can I read this English edition if my English is average?
Lawrence's short sentences are not overly difficult, but the psychological descriptions are delicate and the wording carefully chosen. A reading level around CET-4 is recommended. If your vocabulary is limited, read one story with a dictionary first to get used to the style, then continue—focus on understanding character psychology rather than word-by-word translation.Does this book contain only "The Prussian Officer"?
No. The title is The Prussian Officer and Other Stories; besides the core title piece, it includes other short stories. The materials focus on the psychological confrontation and same-sex desire themes in "The Prussian Officer"; the remaining stories can be read one by one according to the contents, giving a sense of Lawrence's short fiction as a whole.Do I need background knowledge on Lawrence before reading?
No extensive preparation is needed. Knowing that Lawrence wrote Lady Chatterley's Lover and excels at psychological analysis is enough to begin. If, after reading, you are drawn to his questioning of the true meaning of life, exploring his other works will follow naturally.This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
D. H. Lawrence Author · British · 1885–1930D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) was an English novelist, poet, and essayist, and one of the most important and controversial writers in twentieth-century English literature. Born into a mining family in Nottinghamshire, he is best known for novels such as Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love, and Lady Chatterley's Lover. His work explores human nature and relations between the sexes amid modern industrial civilization, and several of his books were banned for their candid descriptions. This site holds nine of his works, mostly English-language story collections, including The Prussian Officer and Other Stories, The Woman Who Rode Away and Other Stories, and England, My England and Other Stories, each in several volumes, as well as a Chinese translation of Women in Love. These works display his delicate psychological portrayal, his attention to conflicts of class and desire, and a restrained, symbolic narrative style.