Mr Noon (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of D. H. Lawrence) [Hardcover]

D. H. Lawrence (Author), Lindeth Vasey (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 1984 | Series: The Cambridge Edition of the Works of D. H. Lawrence

Mr Noon is a sardonic tale about the amorous adventures of Gilbert Noon, a young schoolmaster in Lawrence's home county of Nottinghamshire who gets entangled with a girl, loses his job, and decides to leave the country to escape the narrow provincial middle-class morality. It was first known as a long story posthumously published in A Modern Lover (1934) and collected in the volume called Phoenix II (1968). Lawrence in fact wrote a long continuation of the novel, but the manuscript disappeared for many years. The Cambridge edition brought the two parts together for the first time. It is like a sequel to Sons and Lovers, but much more straightforwardly autobiographical. The publication of the complete work added a new work of major importance to the canon of a great writer, and was widely hailed as a major literary event.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Mr. Noon adds a new (though unfinished) novel to the D.H. Lawrence canon. He worked on it in 1920 and 1921, the period immediately following Women in Love and The Lost Girl. The first part, published posthumously in 1934, is a satirical story of English provincial life. Part II (over two-thirds of the text) shifts to Germany and abruptly becomes a fictionalizedbut not much?version of Lawrence's elopement with Frieda von Richthofen Weekley. Frieda's character and her growing intimacy with Lawrence are presented with sharp immediacy. The novel follows the lovers from Germany across Austria to the Italian lakes before breaking off in midsentence. Mr. Noon is of course a major event for modern literary studies, but more casual readers of Lawrence will also want to try this "lost" novel. The biographical interest colors every page, and the narrative's vivid account of the lovers' developing relationship and of the world they move through is impressive. Keith Cushman, English Dept., Univ. of North Carolinia, Greensboro
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

This is an autobiographical novel - more or less a sequel to Sons and Lovers. The first part appeared as a short story in 1934; the second, larger part was never published. Mr Noon was first published in its entirety in 1984, and was widely hailed as a major literary event.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Cambridge ed edition (October 26, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521252512
• ISBN-13: 978-0521252515
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,327,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Lawrence Fans!, January 8, 2001

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"colette21c" (Dallas, Tx. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr Noon: Cambridge Lawrence Edition (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Paperback)

Although this book is unfinished by the author, it will not disappoint! This novel should be viewed for its lyrical merit rather than its story line. "For a little man who suddenly imagines life to be something and the Word a mere bauble in the hands of buffoons like himself. Finds himself strangely anxious, books showering down on his head like the ruins of Carthage, while all the time he wants life, life, whatever life may be. Finds himself anxious-to be with young people, to share their existence, their youth"...."Mr.Noon" The story follows Gilbert Noon, a young schoolteacher that has a torid affair with a fellow schoolteacher named Emme. After her father catches them in the "act", Gilbert flees the small town to start life anew. Vowing to pursue his doctorate in Germany and to put away silly romantic endeavors. After escaping to Germany, his real trouble begins, he meets Johanna, a smoldering mature German woman with much experience in the ways of life and love. I really enjoyed this book, and I hope you enjoy another one of Lawrence's treasures as well!