WOMEN IN LOVE

I embarked on Book 7 of the Project, Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence, a few weeks ago. (Somehow I completely neglected to write about Book 6, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, but a belated thumbs up—it was hard to get into, but I found myself intensely involved in the second half and very moved by the ending.)

Why I own this book: L gave it to me, many years ago.

Why I haven’t read it: Have never read anything by Lawrence, wasn’t sure I’d like him.

Why I still own it: Well, it was a gift, and L said she liked it...

But the verdict is that this book and I, we didn’t get along. I tried, I really did, but the characters seemed to have no personality, everyone made long, dull speeches about abstract ideas, and the writing style was overwrought. I have a hard time with books that seem to have no particular details. I followed the Nancy Pearl Life’s Too Short Rule (subtract your age from 100, and that is the number of pages you need to read before you quit a book), got to page 71, and shut the book. I think I’ll give it to Goodwill. (Sorry, L.) It felt like a failure for the Project, until I remembered that the whole point of the endeavor is to make sure I only own books I like. Now I know I don’t like Women in Love. I’m willing to believe things really get grooving around page 110, and maybe I’d like a different Lawrence book someday, but for now I’m not looking back.