Phoenix 2 [Paperback]

D. H. Lawrence (Author), Warren F. Roberts (Editor), Harry T. Moore (Editor)

Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (July 27, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140042318
• ISBN-13: 978-0140042313
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,452,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars D.H.L.'s essays and poetry are very stimulating!, November 13, 1998

By 

Theodore G. Mihran (Schenectady, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Phoenix 2 (Paperback)

Although out of print this volume and its companion volune PHOENIX are among my favorite collections. They are very insightful in areas D.H.L. is not usually recognized for.

In this volume one of my favorites is HYMNS IN A MAN'S LIFE. It starts "Nothing is more difficult than to determine what a child takes in, and does not take in, of its environment and its teaching..." Later, "...Love is a great emotion, and power is power. But both love and power are based on wonder. Love without wonder is a sensational affair, and power without wonder is mere force and compulsion. The one uiniversal element in consciousness which is fundamental to life is the element of wonder."

And consider D.H.L.'s insight into scientific research when he says: "Even the real scientist works in the sense of wonder. The pity is, when he comes out of his laboratory he puts aside his wonder along with his apparatus, and tries to make it all perfactly didactic. Science in its true condition of wonder is as religious as any religion..." In my work as a scientist I find this to be very true. The little hints, the inspiration, the hunches, the dead ends...none of these is acknowledged as one tries to make the result of the investigation perfectly logical.

He goes on to talk about his religious childhood and how it carried over into his adult life. Hear his recollections: "...I liked our chapel, which was tall and full of light, and yet still; and colour-washed pale green and blue, with a bit of lotus pattern. And over the organ-loft, 'O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,' in big letters."

D,H.L. had a rich background in the Bible, and it entered many of his works. The book APOCALYPSE is devoted in its entirely to the analysis of the Book of Revelation. An essay in the initial PHOENIX is titled "On Being Religious". His religion developed beyond the usual Christian dogma, and he gives top billing to The Holy Spirit.

The last two essays in PHOENIX II are titled: "On Being a Man", and "On Human Destiny." very provocative titles.

I have touched on the element of religion because D.H.L. usually is not associated with "religious" thoughts. A vast variety of other subjects are treated in other essays, as well as the full text of his novel MR NOON.

This book is one of my treasures!