Description
Oxford University Press Usa The Apocalyptic World of D H Lawrence by Peter Fjagesund and Foreword by Frank Kermode
Fjagesund argues that traditional apocalypticism, or the dialectic between forces of destruction and visions of utopian renewal, forms the mental framework of Lawrence's writings from the First World War onwards. After an introductory chapter on Lawrence's view of history, the author shows how apocalyptic extremes dominate the various periods of his career, from the general sense of doom during the war, via the utopian quest of the early 1920s, to the dual vision of the final years. The book sheds new light on crucial passages of the major prose works by relating them more directly than has previously been done to cultural and political movements on the Continent. As a result, Lawrence emerges as a cosmopolitan writer whose visions and ideas can only be properly understood in a European context.show more