The Fox; The Captain's Doll; The Ladybird (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

D. H. Lawrence (Author), Dieter Mehl (Editor), David Ellis (Editor), Helen Dunmore (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2006 | Series: Penguin Classics

These three novellas explore human relationships and the devastating results of war. In The Fox, a predator targets two young women living on a small farm during the First World War. The Captain's Doll explores the complex relationship between a German countess and a married Scottish soldier in occupied Germany. In The Ladybird, a wounded prisoner of war has a disturbing influence on the Englishwoman who visits him in the hospital.
* Uses the restored texts of the Cambridge edition
* Includes a new introduction, chronology, and further reading

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

D. H. Lawrence wrote these three 'novelettes' between November 1920 and December 1921. Dieter Mehl gives all three composition histories including Lawrence's wish to have them published together. There is also an appendix on the models for the two main characters and the setting of 'The Fox'. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) was one of the greatest figures in twentieth- century English literature. His works include The Rainbow and Lady Chatterley's Lover.

Blake Morrison has written numerous works, including Things My Mother Never Told Me.

Helen Dunmore, a novelist, poet, and short story writer, won the Orange Prize for Fiction with A Spell of Winter.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; Revised edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141441836
• ISBN-13: 978-0141441832
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.7 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The title fits the content, August 12, 2000

By 

Nichole Smith (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fox; The Captain's Doll; The Ladybird: Cambridge Lawrence Edition (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had to read this book for a literature class, and it was chosen to be our favorite by far. The discussions deepened from lesbians, co-dependancy, and control. Of the three main characters we actually found five. Each lady has a different personality depending on what name she is called by. We may be reaching but it was interesting backing it up with the text. If you enjoy D.H. Lawrence you will love this novella.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fox; The Captain's Doll: The Ladybird ( Penguin Classics), December 28, 2009

By 

B. Schram (Mpls,Mn) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fox; The Captain's Doll; The Ladybird (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

A classic collection of short stories by D H Lawrence, a true literary genius whose prose spans the ages. The Fox stands out as a rich descriptive tale of two women living on a farm whose compliment of animals are primarily female as well. A man shows up, hunting foxes and stirs sexual urges within the loveless women causing the women's sedate feminine environment to become heated and unstable. Lawrence, with a sparkling eye for detail and subtle nuance weaves a tale rich in allegory and sexual symbolism that captivates the reader while exposing the human instinctual animal by stripping away the cultural facade

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful follow up novellas, February 10, 2009

By 

J. Cadwallader (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fox; The Captain's Doll; The Ladybird (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

These three novellas (each 70+/- pages) are packed with the detailed structure and depth Lawrence displayed in his masterwork novels. Each is in essence a concentrated variation of the more familiar works, exploring the interior emotions and spirits of the various characters in unconventional or transitory settings.

Though not difficult, these stories should be read slowly to appreciate everything Lawrence is conveying, from the spare dialogue, the reflected and projected emotions, the environment and related symbols, to the historical background and setting.

While each could be extended or more fully developed (which Lawrence himself did in revising "The Fox") there's plenty of value in the characters and plots as they are.