I am just not a Lawrence fan. I don't particularly enjoy his style, and I'm never fond of his subject choices and his treatment of them. So, don't expect a very positive review. If you do like Lawrence, my thoughts are probably not helpful for you.
Sons and Lovers tells the story of a refined young lady who meets and falls in love with a miner. They marry, and she joins the lower classes where she doesn't fit in and has nothing to do. The two drift apart, and she puts all her love and attention on her oldest son. (It's actually a strange relationship where the son takes the place of the father.) The oldest son tries to leave her and ends up dying. Then she places all her affection on the second son. He also develops a strange relationship with his mother and seems unable to leave her, in spite of trying to have relationships with other women. Then the mother dies, and he is cast adrift.
It is realistic in that I know plenty of mothers who let their children become their whole lives and are lost without them, but the undercurrent of incest (which is never outright stated, thank goodness) seems unrealistic and made me very uncomfortable. Lawrence is also a somewhat challenging writer, and it is a long book, so it takes a lot of time to read. It isn't worth it!
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