First published in 1929, David Herbert Lawrence’s novella "The Man Who Died" was originally a story titled “The Escaped Cock.” Later, Lawrence added a second part, and his publishers changed the title to "The Man Who Died".
In his last novel, published less than a year before his untimely death at the age of forty-five, Lawrence takes up the theme of Christ's resurrection and his final days on Earth. Lawrence recounts Christ's agonising journey from death back to life with an alarmingly profane realism, depicting the tale from the moment of his initial painful awakening to his eventual redemptive sexual relationship with the priestess of the pagan goddess Isis.
The story expands beyond its Christian roots to explore and embrace Lawrence's abiding faith in the life-force apparent in every aspect of the natural world. For his final work, Lawrence has encapsulated a lifetime of extraordinary vision into one profound and exquisite parable.
