D H LAWRENCE
Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Banned for many years as were many of Lawrence’s books, this tale of the Lady of the Manor who finds passion and love with the earthy gardner Mellors, was deemed to be obscene and became the subject of scandal. As much about class as sex, it has become a much adapted classic
The Rainbow
Lesbian hints gave this novel its warning label. The prequel to Women In Love, The Rainbow tells of three generations of a Midlands based working class family and how the nature of their relationships change with the industrial expansion of their community, and introduces the controversially passionate and emotional Ursula, whose desire to break free os social rules shames her family.
Women In Love
Intense and to some extent semi-autobiographical, Women in Love continues the story of the Bronwen sisters and the relationships they develop. Their partnerships are complicated by the attraction between their lovers, famously depicted in the naked wrestling scene of Ken Russel’s 1969 movie.
Sons And Lovers
Intimately exploring the complex relationships between sons and their Mothers, the story involves the Morel family. Gertrude meets and falls passionaetly in love with Walter, but when their love wanes she transfers her love to sons William and Paul who develop instense connections of love, hate and jealousy with their Mother that ultimately ruins their lives.
D H Lawrence from the BookStreamz Classic Editions
One of the most controversial authors of all time, much of David Herbert Lawrence’s work was banned for publication for its ‘obscene’ nature – although it may have been as much for breaking class rules as for its exploration of taboo relationships.
D H Lawrence’s work continues to fascinate filmmakers with small and big screen adaptations still in production or planned. His most famous work, Lady Chatterley’s Lover is set for another reprise despite already having been dramatised many times before.
Fascinated by relationships that most would not publicly explore in the first half of the twentieth century, Lawrence explored homosexuality, lesbianism and inter familial love as well as the confines that class and social restriction placed on emotional and physical intimacy. As with many writers, his novels were drawn from his own life and many of the characters in his most famous works were based on his own close relationships.
The reactions to his books in the UK eventually took a toll and he left to travel with his wife, continuing to write as they explored Europe and the US.
After his death, Penguin, publisher of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, were taken to court in 1960 charged with obscenity under a 1959 law – and were found Not Guilty, a landmark case that opened the door for more open publication of works.
Complex, fascinating, challenging and engaging, these novels are absorbing and well worth exploring.
Watch this trailer of the BBC’s 2015 adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover with Holliday Grainger as Lady Chatterley, Richard Madden as Oliver Mellors, James Norton as Sir Clifford Chatterley, and Jodie Comer as Ivy Bolton. Witen by Line of Duty writer Jed Mercurio
D H Lawrence
Much of D H Lawrence’s life was lived in controversy – not only for his famously ‘socially unacceptable’ works, the most famous of which, ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, was banned from publication for a considerable time, but also for his personal life.
Born to a coal-mining father and factory worker and sometime teaching mother, David Herbert Lawrence was brought up in a working class home in the then coal mining town of Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, in central England. His intelligence earned him a scholarship to Nottingham High School. He went on to work as a clerk, but within three months contracted pneumonia and was forced to leave. A nature lover at heart, he spent his convalescence on a farm where his love of books and literature blossomed. His ill health plagued him throughout his life and he died at just 44. However, he did pack in a huge amount of writing, travel and had many close relationships, although he remained dedicated to his wife Frieda, who in rather typical style, he eloped with after meeting her – as she was already married with children.
Lawrence’s frank and open exploration of relationships and in particular sexual attraction and orientation led to his being branded by many as a pornographer – and he abandoned the UK to roam throughout Europe, and North and South America. A number of his works were banned for obscenity – including The Rainbow and Women in Love, both of which touched on the taboo of homosexuality – and perhaps most famously of all Lady Chatterley’s Lover. When its publisher, Penguin, finally printed the unexpurgated version in 1960, they were brought to trial under the Obscenity Law of 1959 – and were ultimately found Not Guilty. This landmark case allowed much more freedom in publishing thereafter.
Fascinating exploration of initimate relastionships. Often disturbing, brutal and profane, they are frank about class, poverty, abuse as well as taboo relationships. You might find yourself feeling uncomfortable with revelations that hit home.
– The Story Sofaaa
Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ is a novel that constitutes a milestone of English literature.
It did not feel that today we would be breaking new ground if we were to use those [four-letter] words. If you want to use certain words you have to justify them, and it did not seem relevant … The idea was to tell this as a love story, a love triangle – to concentrate on the emotions of the characters.
– JED MERCURIO
This book was so much more than I thought it was going to be. This was an experience that I wanted to devour quickly…
It was a surprisingly sensational read for me
This book was a surprise. I LOVED it and all of the deep contradictions swimming around its heart
