Finished: Women in Love (Lawrence) Hmmm...not sure why this very probing, psychological book about the love between men and women is on so many top lists, but I am done with it. Now, only 3 more books on the top 100 list to read. :-) This is my 3rd Lawrence book, and I must say I liked the other two, The Rainbow and Sons and Lovers, more, though none of Lawrence's books make MY top 100 list. Women in Love is a sequel to The Rainbow and focuses on sisters Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen. Living in early 1900's England, they both way over think what love and the relationship between a man and woman should be. Whoa. If you give that much thought to it, of course you can talk yourself out of it! Or, into it! Ursula, who already experienced both a lesbian affair and the love of a man in the first book, has now met the older Rupert Birkin, whose ideas on love are way out there. He practically disdains physical love, though he gives into it. He feels like there must be something more between a man and a woman, something that makes them both rather metaphysical or something. He wants that connection with Ursula. He wants to run around naked in the woods and forget the rest of society, lol. All she basically wants is for him to tell her he loves her. Don't get me wrong, she's a very complicated, deep thinker about it all too, but she basically just wants to be loved by him and, more importantly, be all that he needs. Of course, she's not all that he needs. There's a very intense scene between Rupert and his friend, Gerald Crich, where they get naked and wrestle on the floor for an extended period of time. Though they slough it off as men being sporty, they both feel an intimate attraction. Rupert even offers the idea of having a relationship to Gerald, but he pretends not to really understand what Rupert is talking about. Anyway, Gerald is another complicated one. He's the good-looking oldest son of a rich coal-mining family. As a youngster, he accidentally shot and killed his own brother. He has recently become very attracted to Ursula's younger sister, Gudrun. Again, both characters spend an exorbitant amount of time over-thinking their feelings for each other. When Gerald's father dies, he goes to Gudrun's house in the middle of the night and they have their first sexual experience. From there, they don't know how to act, but Gerald asks Gudrun if she'll go on an extended vacation to the Alps with him. Gerald thinks he's in love with Gudrun, but Gudrun wants more out of life than becoming a wife and mother. She seems to alternate between passionate love and hatred for Gerald. When they get to the mountains, Gudrun is so infatuated and in love with the beauty of it all that Gerald is jealous of her love for it. Meanwhile, Ursula and Rupert have traveled with them and they all have a few fun-filled days. Soon, though, Ursula and Rupert want to move on and explore other scenery. Gerald and Gudrun are left alone to mingle with the other inhabitants of the hotel. One in particular, Loerke, has peaked the interest of Gudrun. He is a fellow artist and though he is not at all attractive, Gudrun is attracted to his views on the world. She realizes she doesn't really love Gerald...not that she loves Loerke, but her rejection of Gerald leads him to try and strangle her. Gerald stops in his tracks when he realizes he doesn't really want her dead. He then wanders the slopes of the snowy mountains in despair until he lays down to sleep and freezes to death. Ursula and Rupert rush back to the retreat where Gudrun is in shock, but not really mourning a love lost. Rupert however, finally breaks down in tears and lets Ursula know that Gerald was the ideal man that he would have wanted a relationship with...that Ursula and Gerald together would have made his life complete. Ursual, but do you still love me? Rupert, yes, but I needed him too. Ursula and Rupert then accompany Gerald's body back to England while Gudrun decides to leave her future and destination wide open. The end. Really, a way too intricately analyzing book for me about how each of them felt about the other at any given moment! It took away from the pleasure of just reading the story. :-) So...on to book #97. Yay!