<p>Lawrence&#39;s first novel is set in the Eastwood area of his youth and is narrated in the first person by a character named Cyril Beardsall. It involves themes such as the damage associated with mismatched marriages, and the border country between town and country. A misanthropic gamekeeper makes an appearance, in some ways the prototype of Mellors in Lawrence&#39;s last novel, Lady Chatterley&#39;s Lover. The book includes some notable description of nature and the impact of industrialisation on the countryside and the town.</p>