This book provides a comprehensive introduction to Sons and Lovers and guides the reader through the key critical approaches to the novel. Part 1 provides a detailed overview of Lawrence’s composition of Sons and Lovers from 1910 to its publication in 1913 (including a discussion of Edward Garnett’s editing of the novel). Part 2 contains a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the novel, highlighting its complex structure and central themes. Part 3 considers the contemporary reception of Sons and Lovers and introduces the main critical approaches to the novel in recent criticism. Part 4 reproduces useful excerpts from Lawrence’s letters relating to the novel, while Part 5 presents an extensive Select Bibliography of secondary criticism.