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Original poster

Novels which explore mother/son relationships - any examples?

46 replies

ArgosTheDog · 26/02/2018 22:35

Father/son, father/daughter and mother/daughter relationships seem to be much more commonly explored in novels than mother/son relationships.

Can anyone suggest any novels which explore mother/son relationships?

The only one I can think of is one of the Patrick Melrose series of novels by Edward St Aubyn.

OP posts:
elQuintoConyo · 26/02/2018 22:37

Oxygen by Andrew Miller. Not very cheerful though!

Appin · 26/02/2018 22:39

We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence

CramptonHodnet · 27/02/2018 05:31

The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin. Wil lsee if I can think of some more.

Original poster
ArgosTheDog · 27/02/2018 11:36

Thanks all

Is Sons and Lovers good? For some reason it's never appealed to me

OP posts:
Clarissalarissa · 27/02/2018 11:43

Some of these are bleak!

YogaDrone · 27/02/2018 11:49

"My Mother's Lovers" by Christopher Hope Amazon

I enjoyed this - a strong female central character described by her son and in the context of her relationship with him (from his perspective).

CallYourDadYoureInACult · 27/02/2018 11:50

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. Grin

Reading it as an adult has given me a whole new perspective. I see it through Pauline’s eyes now.

annandale · 27/02/2018 11:51

I think there's an interesting mother/son relationship in Perfect Happiness by Penelope Lively. Not central though.

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 27/02/2018 18:21

So true Op . So many of the male characters are often orphans or have weird twisted relationships

The only one that springs to mind is Adrian mole !

Kikashi · 27/02/2018 18:39

Strong mother/son relationship in North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.

Oedipus Rex - Sopocles

The Nix - Nathan Hill (recent book)

BikeRunSki · 27/02/2018 18:41

I was also going to suggest "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and the Adrian Mole diaries,

I'm sure some Alan Sillitoe's too - Saturday Night and Sunday Morning maybe?

BikeRunSki · 27/02/2018 18:43

Room

BikeRunSki · 27/02/2018 18:45

Me Before You

The mother/son relationship is not the main relationship explored, but it is certainly there

Kikashi · 27/02/2018 18:47

Mothers and Sons by Colm Toibin - short stories about mother and son relationships not a novel

Kikashi · 27/02/2018 18:53

Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth

Sleepyhead11 · 27/02/2018 20:38

I adored Sons & Lovers, but all of Lawrence is burningly intense and good.

lastqueenofscotland · 27/02/2018 21:34

It's not fiction but Angela's ashes

bilbodog · 27/02/2018 22:12

We need to talk about kevin - excellent

whatwoulddexterdo · 27/02/2018 22:39

Room by Emma Donoghud

InfiniteCurve · 27/02/2018 22:50

It's not modern,but Elizabeth Goudge's Damerosehay series shows amongst other things an elderly woman's relationships with her adult sons, and her adult grandson.There are also some snippets of her relationships when her children were small.

CluelessMama · 28/02/2018 10:52

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O' Farrell has a mother/son relationship, one particular scene made me cry buckets

Frogletmamma · 28/02/2018 20:00

Another fan of Sons and lovers. The relationships in the book are described really convincingly and all in all its a compelling read

Hookedoncatnip · 28/02/2018 20:08

I agree @CallYourDadYoureInACult with The Adrian Mole books. I recently read the 3 follow on diaries of Adrian Mole and the mother/son relationship is well written I think.

auberginesrus · 01/03/2018 15:57

I may have to give Sons and Lovers another go - I did it for A level and hated it, but think I was probably just too young to appreciate it. Am going to look out the Colm Tobin books too as I have read Brooklyn and Nora Webster and really enjoyed them.