Sons and Lovers : 9781612039329 : 18 Jan 2012 : The Modern Library placed it ninth on their list of the 100 best novels of the 20th century. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence is a novel telling the story of Paul Morel, a young man and budding artist striving to win free from his old life.When Paul falls in love with a local girl, Miriam, his mother disapproves, and Paul is forced to choose between them. "Sons and Lovers" is an intense examination of family, class, and love, set in a small mining town in the early 1900's.D. H. Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter whose works represent a reflection upon the dehumanizing effects of modernity and industrialization. In his writings Lawrence confronts issues relating to emotional health and vitality, spontaneity, and instinct often apposing current social acceptance.