Lawrence Classic Works Collection: The Woman Who Rode Away and Other Stories (4) (English Edition)

D. H. LawrenceJun 2024

Rating 3.9

Word count: 52K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

This book is another classic collection by Lawrence, author of Lady Chatterley's Lover. It is published in English and suited to English-language enthusiasts.

The collection brings together more than a dozen of Lawrence's short stories and novellas, spanning every period of his career and tracing his development from early realism to the modernism and experimental styles of his middle and late years.

In selecting the works, the book first focuses on those recognized as classics, while also taking into account the representativeness of schools and trends and their aesthetic value.

The British critic F. R. Leavis said: Lawrence is among the greatest novelists; from Jane Austen to Lawrence—I think of Hawthorne, Dickens, George Eliot, Henry James, Melville, Mark Twain and Conrad—we can find creative achievement that no one has surpassed, and no famous passage in literary history can surpass it.

Editor's review

As an English-language collection of Lawrence's shorter fiction, this book offers depth in tracing his creative trajectory: from the more realistic manner of his early work to the modernist narrative and experimental styles of his middle and later years, readers can see within one volume how a novelist kept pushing the boundaries of his expression. The selection balances widely acknowledged classics with representative works of schools and trends, attending both to works repeatedly discussed in literary history and to diversity on the aesthetic level; it is therefore not merely English-learning material but a sample for observing the evolution of the modern English short story. The original English preserves Lawrence's distinctive rhythm, imagery and feel for language, making it especially suitable for readers who want to sense the texture of his writing through the original. In terms of reading situations, it works well as supplementary reading for a short-story course and for readers with some English foundation who want to move through it story by story in fragmented time such as commutes or before sleep; familiarity with the background of modernist literature will make it easier to read the intent behind the stylistic changes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English or literature majors who need to encounter modernist short stories in the original English
Literature enthusiasts with some English reading ability who want a systematic understanding of Lawrence's shorter fiction
Readers preparing course papers or reading reports on English and American literature who need a text with varied selections
Readers who enjoy the short form and want to read original English works in fragmented time

Not a good fit for

Beginners with limited English vocabulary who cannot yet read long English sentences smoothly
Readers who only want Chinese translations and are unwilling to face the language barrier of the original
Readers of popular fiction who expect tightly plotted, highly story-driven narratives

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents to understand the distribution of pieces; read in groups by creative period and observe the shift from realism to experimental style.
After finishing each piece, note the narrative perspective and imagery in two or three sentences before moving on.
When encountering long sentences, mark them without looking up words first; read the whole paragraph, then return, preserving an overall grasp of the feel of the language.
Read alongside a chapter on modernism in a brief history of English and American literature to understand the background.

版权信息
Third Island
GLAD GHOSTS
NONE OF THAT!
THE ROCKING-HORSE WINNER
THE LOVELY LADY

FAQ

What English level is this English edition suitable for?

It suits readers with reading ability at or above CET-4 who can handle longer complex sentences. Lawrence's sentence rhythm and imagery are fairly dense, and readers with a low vocabulary may get stuck; try one piece first to gauge the difficulty before deciding whether to proceed story by story.

How does this book differ from other volumes in the same series?

According to the available information, this volume and the other volumes in the series all belong to collections of Lawrence's shorter fiction; the pieces included differ, and all cover the various periods of his career, reflecting stylistic changes from realism to modernism. For the specific contents, consult each volume's table of contents, and readers may choose pieces of interest accordingly.

Can I read this directly without having read Lawrence's novels?

Yes. A short-story collection does not depend on prior novels; each piece stands on its own. Lawrence's middle and later works, however, often have strong symbolism and psychological description; when first approaching them, it may help to start with pieces whose narrative is clearer before reading the more experimental ones.

What should I do when I encounter many unfamiliar words in the original English?

It is advisable not to look up every word. Read a paragraph through first, grasp the characters, setting and direction of the narrative, then return to key words that recur. Lawrence's writing emphasizes atmosphere and feel for language; excessive lookup can interrupt the experience of rhythm.

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 · 1885–1930

D. 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.