The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence

Ye-haw!

D.H. Lawrence is one of those early 20th century writers that can often be hit or miss for me and The Rocking-Horse Winner is...well, a winner. It appeared on my "Deal Me in Challenge" list back in 2016 and a recent re-read only confirmed my initial reaction: this is an eerie, unsettling psychological horror story wrapped in a coming-of-age tragedy. At its core, it’s about childhood trauma, parental neglect, and the desperate, unreciprocated need for love.

The tension in Paul’s household is palpable from the start. His mother is consumed by the belief that they never have enough money, even though they live in relative comfort with servants. His parents possess a toxic obsession with keeping up appearances—classic keeping up with the Joneses syndrome. The mother’s philosophy is particularly revealing:

|“It’s what causes you to have money. If you’re lucky, you have money. That’s why it is better to be born lucky than rich. If you’re rich, you may lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you will always get more money.”|

Unfortunately, young Paul takes this idea to heart. With an almost supernatural ability to predict horse race winners, he believes he can save his family from financial ruin using luck. The catch is that generating luck only works if he rides his rocking horse hard enough. His uncle, a seasoned gambler, sees an opportunity to take advantage of his nephew's gift, but at a terrible cost.

The toy rocking horse itself is the story’s most powerful symbol, representing Paul’s obsessive drive to gain fortune and, more tragically, his mother’s love. Every frantic ride pulls him deeper into madness, his desperation mounting with every bet. In some ways, the horse is a stand-in for childhood itself, a symbol of innocence that becomes warped under the weight of adult pressures. And let’s be honest—there’s also a pretty strong case for interpreting it as a metaphor for sexual repression and guilt. When his mother finds him in his room, wildly riding his rocking horse to the point of collapse, it’s not exactly subtle. Freud would have had a field day with this one.

The real horror of The Rocking-Horse Winner isn’t ghosts or gore—it’s the realization that Paul never really stood a chance. No matter how much money he wins, it will never be enough. Not for his mother. Not for the house that whispers (There must be more money! There must be more money!). And certainly not for him. It’s a bleak and depressing tale, but one that still feels relevant today. The story critiques materialism, greed, and the idea that love can be earned rather than given freely. In a world that still measures success in wealth, Paul’s tragic fate is a chilling reminder: sometimes, the price of winning is far too high.

You can read this story HERE.