The Rainbow

By: D. H. Lawrence

Narrated by: Maureen O'Brien

Set in the rural midlands of England, The Rainbow revolves around three generations of Brangwens, a family deeply involved with the land and noted for their strength and vigour. When Tom Brangwen marries a Polish widow, Lydia Lensky, and adopts her daughter, Anna, as his own, he is unprepared for the conflict and passion that erupts between them. Their stories continue in Women in Love.

©1995 The Estate of Frieda Lawrence Ravagli (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"O'Brien reads the Brangwens, both women and men, as vital people, with instinctive lines that are both sensual and spiritual; always they are whole and organic as they are drawn inexorably into the Rainbow. Both book and reading give us Lawrence at his best." ( AudioFile)

Family history

Three generations of a family are examined, showing the changing roles of women and the changing society from approximately 1840 to 1905.

outstanding- a must read for women

exceptional, sensitive, nuanced, empathic and deeply empowering and respectful to the complexity of the feminine psyche and the need for self realisation and spiritual wholeness beyond codependency of romanticism

Wonderful!

D. H. Lawrence is brilliant! What a wonderful writer! He describes complex people who live in the 1920s and their thoughts and families. These families are not Aristocrats or titled. These people are just people with thoughts and intelligence who journey through their lives experiencing what joy children are or the bliss of consummation. It is a delightful novel to connect with these feelings and thoughts.

Maureen O’Brien is the best narrator, I wished she narrated Part 2, Women in Love.

Rich and evocative

A sprawling story that spans multiple generations of a family, this ambitious book is filled with rich imagery and passion, it tries to boldly capture the essence of human desire, and to showcase the failures inherent in such flawed creatures capable of so much beauty. It owes a lot to the Bronte works, especially Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Lawrence's command of language is simply breathtaking at times. A wonderful work.

Too Many Words

I hadn’t read this since I was 16 or 17 and thought it was time to give it another go. At that age I loved it. It was a thrill to read an adult book with sex scenes and the analysis of emotions between men and women seemed deep and profound.

Now, at the age of 63, it all seems excessive and verbose, peculiar and eccentric. There are whole chapters of nothing but analysis of the inner lives of characters. It is all heavily dependent on Freud and hardly relatable to a modern person. I’m surprised I made it to the end, but the narrator is excellent.

I’m on to Women In Love and Sons and Lovers. I liked those better as a teen so maybe I will like them better now.

A Decent Story for the Patient Listener

Not sure if the moral at the novel’s conclusion is worth the long listen... Also unsure if one could label this as a tragedy, as it is somewhat open to interpretation if Ursula’s final conclusion is one of subjugation or freedom. The aggression of the Horse’s Hooves could mean that she is not free, while the Rainbow could be a display of her freedom or her boundlessness.

I find Lawrence much more accessible than Henry James. Lawrence is more direct, much less verbose. James is pleonastic and circumlocutory. Lawrence’s family dynamics I would further argue are better developed, less antiquated.

Not sure if this is worth the listen. I would have preferred to read it than listen.

-Noah Balfour

Extraordinary performance

Kudos to the narrator, she did an incredible job narrating this story, a novel that I will remember for a very long time.

Disappointing

I had hoped that Ursula would come to her senses but no. I love D. H. Lawrence and was glad to listen to this book.

Loved it!

A romantic ghost story. I found it very entertaining. I love Mary Jane Wells' voice.

Exquisite

There is no comparison with the intoxicating rhythm and depth of D.H. Lawrence’s writing style. No other can lay bare inner turmoil with such care and candor at once.