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D H. Lawrence is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. A novelist, poet and essayist, he left behind an astounding literary legacy. This legacy is often contested however. During his lifetime, and for many years after, several of his most famous works were subject to ridicule and even censorship. His reputation in life and posthumously was severely blighted, though there were still some that claimed he was a great novelist.
Lawrence’s reputation continued to rise and fall for many years. Perhaps it was only with the lifting of the censorship ban on his most famous work, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, that he began to be viewed more widely as one of the Greats. This new verdict was significant, a victory for freedom of expression and a turning point for the British publishing industry.
Lawrence’s most famous novel, banned for its explicit descriptions of sexual intercourse. The portrayal of an illicit love affair between Lady Chatterley and her husband’s gamekeeper, scandalised pre-war Britain. The affair stems from Lady Chatterley’s realisation that she cannot live with the mind alone following her husband’s paralysis and subsequent importance on his return from war. It was this portrayal of an extramarital affair, sexual exploration and the complicated relationship between love and sex that rendered Lawrence, in the eyes of many, a pornographer.
The novel was first published privately in Florence in 1928, banned in the UK (and many countries across the world) for its obscenity. Only in 1960, after Penguin Books won the right to publish it, did it become a world-wide bestseller. The release of the novel after so many years heralded a sexual revolution. Though it is still subject to a variety of conflicting interpretations, the book is now considered a British masterpiece.
Even before Lady Chatterly’s Lover, Lawrence was pushing the boundaries with his writing. The novel was heavily edited and the first draft has never been found. It was subject to many censorship attempts due to its frank discussion of sex. Autobiographical in nature, the novel offers a portrayal of childhood, adolescence and the divide between generations.
The story follows the plight of a woman in an unsatisfying marriage who devotes herself to her children, particularly her two eldest sons, the younger of which becomes so emotionally dependent on her that he is unable to form relationships of his own. Considered Lawrence’s earliest masterpiece, Sons and Lovers evokes tenderness, creating intimacy between Lawrence and the reader. Though raw and sexually complex, the writing is wonderfully observational and aesthetic.
Another novel widely regarded as one of Lawrence’s best, Women in Love was also met with censorship. Following years of misunderstandings and many delays, it was eventually published in 1920. The text was originally part of the same book as The Rainbow but the stories were split and published in quick succession. The Rainbow was banned for its obscenity for eleven years and while Women in Love also caused controversy, it managed to slip through the net.
Women in Love is a novel about the power of human desire and of English society prior to the First World War. The story starts where The Rainbow left off, with the third generation of the Brangwens. It is an unsettling yet extraordinary story, filled with intense yet intelligent characters, conflict, and sexual depravity.
Lawrence stirred up a great amount of controversy in his lifetime. His works pushed the boundaries of sexuality, detailing the intimacy of sexual intercourse and the often complex nature of desire. For an age of modern readers, it might be hard to see why there was such a high level of controversy. Lawrence was writing in a time when many people were closed to the idea of a sexual liberation. Only thirty years later, when Lady Chatterley’s Lover was released from censorship by Penguin Books, did the sexual liberation of literature truly begin.
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