Lady Chatterley’s Lover
D.H. Lawrence
first published 1928
302 pages
I read the beautiful Penguin Classics edition pictured above
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I knew nothing about Lady Chatterley’s Lover until a few weeks ago when teadevotee posted about the upcoming anniversary of the famous (or, in my case, not so famous) obscenity trial. And there’re two words that are guaranteed to pique my interest, especially since I’d just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray, and was feeling for poor Oscar Wilde. So I ordered the book, wondering what I was getting into. But get this…I read the book in 1 day. One! Can you believe it? I’m beginning to think I need to search out more books that have resulted in trials.
It’s hard to believe that there was once a time, in the not-so-distant past, that books were not published because they contained obscene words and/or ideas. We live in a time where curse words are used freely, porn is readily available on the internet, and children know way more about sex than the Victorians ever did (okay, that might not be true, but it could also be very true).
Lady Chatterley’s Lover was first published in 1928. However, the book could not be legally published in its smutty entirety in the United Kingdom until this very date in 1960. 1960! Can you believe it?!? The book contains some graphic sex scenes (although not so graphic by today’s standards) and copious use of the words fuck and cunt. The horror! To many repressed Western societies, the book was beyond outrageous. It was indecent. As a US Senator once remarked, “I’ve not taken ten minutes on Lady Chatterley’s Lover, outside of looking at its opening pages. It is most damnable! It is written by a man with a diseased mind and a soul so black that he would obscure even the darkness of hell!” You go, D.H.
On November 2, 1960, Penguin Books was declared not guilty of violating the Obscene Publications Act. After they published the full version of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Penguin was taken to court, where they successfully proved that the book had literary merit, and was not just full of obscene words and ideas. At one point in the trial, the prosecution asked if Lady Chatterley’s Lover was the type of book “you would wish your wife or servants to read.” Which just goes to show how sexist and classist the prosecution was.
That statement is even more ironic when you consider how Lady Chatterley’s Lover is about way more than just one woman’s sexual awakening. The book explores ideas of class and industrialization, as well as society’s attitudes about sex. Really, there’s way more to this book than just the (sometimes purple) sex scenes.
Connie Chatterley is married to a soldier who returns from WWII paralyzed from the waist down. Her husband, Clifford, can no longer have sex. Although the two enjoy long talks and working together on Clifford’s writing, Connie begins to wither away. She realizes she misses sex. Her body needs it, and so does her mind. Heck, even her dad tells her she needs to get laid. After an unsatisfactory affair with a young playwright, Connie finds herself intrigued by Mellors, the gamekeeper on the family estate. They begin a covert affair, and Connie begins to understand just how much she enjoys sex, and the gamekeeper’s body. But beyond the sex, these two really talk, becoming close in both mind and body.
However, the affair itself is not as scandalous as Connie’s attraction to a man beneath her social class. While Connie looks beyond class, and sees Mellors as a man of integrity, others don’t quite see things her way. They are shocked that she wants someone who is apparently inferior to Connie. Connie’s husband is a class snob, and his attitudes towards the servants and local miners are a sharp contrast to Connie’s openness and Mellors ability to transcend class. Lawrence also attacks war and industrialization. There are many times in the novel where people yearn for quiet and a return to a more rural life.
My copy of the novel has an interesting introduction, in which Doris Lessing goes on at length (and freely uses some bad words herself) about how important it is to read this novel in the context of the times. And I totally agree, because if you read it by today’s standards, it isn’t very shocking. And I guarantee, you’ll snicker at some of the sex scenes. Or at least raise your eyebrows at some of Lawrence’s word choices. But when you consider the repressive social atmosphere that this was written in, then boy howdy, D.H. Lawrence certainly was pushing some moral boundaries. Not only with the sex, but with the idea that Lady Chatterley was doing the servant. And he was getting his digs in with regards to war and industrialization and success (I lost track of the times he referred to success as that “bitch-goddess”).
If you’d like to read more about the famous trial, The Guardian has a great article. It even tells of how the silly prosecution ordered all of the bad words in the book to be tallied up. You know, in case you were wondering just how many offensive fucks there are in the book.
You’re finally back up!! I’ve been getting database errors all day.
I tried to read this book once and I admit, I hated it. I got nearly to the end and decided to quit anyway, since I didn’t care what happened to any of the characters. I should try something else by Lawrence though.
I read this back in high school. I’d always heard about how scandalous it was back in the day, and even as a fairly naive, inexperienced 17-year-old, I found it rather quaint.
I wonder which caused it to be put on trial, the naughty stuff or the fact that it showed a woman stepping below her social class? Similar issues came up with a contemporary obscenity trial in India, where the caste system is alive and well, over The God of Small Things.
Stephanie´s last [type] ..NaNoWriMo
How have I not read this book yet?!
Hmm, I’ve read at least part of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. I don’t remember much of the sex, but isn’t there a scene where a horse gets whipped in the eye or something?
charley´s last [type] ..October Movies
I’ve wanted to own these beautiful verisons of the books! This is one of those books that I think I should read at some point because I know it’s so famous
Amused´s last [type] ..Mailbox Monday- October 25th – 30th- 2010
Those Penguin Classic editions are beautiful. I bought one for the Wuthering Heights read-along
Can’t believe you read this is a single day! I read it 5 or 6 years ago for my book club, but I was the only one that made it to the end….not much of a discussion that meeting.
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Wow … what a rousing and interesting review. And I think you’ve found your niche: classics that have been banned for obsenity!
Jenners´s last [type] ..Musashi Readalong-Book IV- Wind
I never actually knew what this book was about, but I want to read it… now. I especially want to read the Penguin Classic version! So pretty.
She´s last [type] ..October Wrap Up
Ulysses was also the subject of an obscenity trial in the 1920s, and if you can finish that in one day I will be very VERY impressed (it took me three months).
I like your point about considering the time period in which the novel was written. It gives you a proper insight into the novel’s significance for that era.
Suzanne´s last [type] ..Top Ten Tuesday – Books that made me cry
I have been putting this one off for about a decade now. Clearly I have been missing out. Bad bad Trisha..
On a side note, I think that’s the second time today I’ve written “bad, bad Trisha” in a comment on a blog. I need to step up my game here!
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I own a collection of DHL’s works, including this one, and I’ve owned it over 10 years, too! Why are we avoiding this?!?! Hmmmm. I’ll put it on my must-read for 2011.
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We should schedule a readalong sometime in winter or spring!!
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I’ve heard about Lady Chatterley’s Lover, but this is the first time I am hearing about the trail. Very interesting. Good for Penguin. Now I really want to read it. I also agree with everyone else what an amazing beautiful cover.
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My only knowledge of this book, until reading your post, was something like “Lady Chatterley’s Lover = scandalous.” Sounds like I was mostly right. I’m totally intrigued now, both about the story and about the whole trial situation. I’m putting it on my classics list!
As a side note, I absolutely adore those gorgeous editions, and I’m trying to read more classics just so I can declare a favorite and then buy it in a pretty hardcover!
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Wow, I did not know about this at all. It is damnable? Is this guy alive now? LOL! I think he will die if he red some of the books out there.
Now I hae my interest piques, I have to get hold of this book too.
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First, you are a legend for doing this by the second – I ended up going for the tenth.
Second, I am totally jealous of your front cover. Mine has a soft focus nudey lady on it, which is not cool at all.
I’m finding it really interesting that, like you say, so far it’s a lot more about class than the ‘naughty bits’. And I’m finding it a lot easier to read than I was expecting – I was thinking it would be more like James Joyce. I was sort of dreading getting going (despite having started this thing!) but it’s actually fine.
I haven’t listened to this yet, but the LSE has a podcast of a celebration event they did with Penguin the other night which I thought you might fancy.
http://bit.ly/98UOlK
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I remember reading this back in college and wondering where all the shocking scenes were!
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I read this so long ago, and remember liking it a lot. It does sound as though I need to read it again in light of all the controversy surrounding it, and although it was shocking at the time, I really don’t remember it being too bad. Great and thoughtful post!
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I read this book umpteen years ago for a Banned Books discussion group, and boy, did I love it! I laughed at all the heaving loins, but overall I was very impressed with the work in its social context. Good good stuff!
Andi´s last [type] ..Kith graphic novel
So how many times did the bad words show up? Makes me laugh… and reminds me of the clip of the movie Burn After Reading that was made up entirely of every fuckword.
Care´s last [type] ..The Yellow Wallpaper
You’ve made this sound fascinating! I’ve always wanted to read this, but now you’ve made it sound like something I must. What a great, informative post. Thank you!
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Whelp. I’m convinced. I thought Andi had me convinced, but well, I haven’t read it in the years she’s been begging me to, so now, it’s your turn to nag me until I read it. I doubt it will take me long, I’m intrigued by the bitch-goddess. And the sex. Of course.
Heather´s last [type] ..Wordless Wednesday
Great thoughts! I read the book, same edition – isn’t it amazing – this week too, because I was going to a talk here in London about the trials. It was AMAZING! They had Geoffrey Robertson QC talking (who has written the preface to the new Penguin anniversary edition), Lord Hutchinson (who was one of the barristers at the original trial), and Helena Kennedy (who’s, such a hero of mine anyway). So insightful to learn about censorship and why the book was banned – it was odd really, especially having read it and decided what the things were about it that *I* thought were shocking (and there were plenty!), to hear what the trial itself was about, and the suggestion that actually blanking out the words word really make any difference to anything.
I thought Mellors was one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across in ages, what a mystery he is! I was, though, almost disappointed by the ending. And left wondering what might have happened 10 more years down the line…
I will definitely have to read The Guardian article. It’s been a few years since I read this book but I remember thinking some of the sex scenes were pretty funny.
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I’ve always considered reading this just because I know it is a “classic.” And while I’ve known about some of the scandal surrounding it, I didn’t know how extreme the scandal was. I may have to try this out sometime in the maybe near future.
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I wonder what classic sex scenes are like. Been meaning to read this one and the anniversary seems like a good reason to make it a priority, but I don’t think I can fit it in this year. Good to know your thoughts on it. Sounds like it’s a readable book (I thought it may not).
Our book club read this for our classic read a couple years ago and I was surprised how unshocking I found it to be. I was expecting something I would not even be able to read if it was so banned in England (if I remember correctly…)
Thanks for the link to the trial.
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