Some Aspects
of the Work
of D. H. Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence 1885-1930

D. H. Lawrence I came to D. H. Lawrence as most young people through the promised sexiness of Lady Chatterley's Lover. I prefer The Rainbow actually, with its biblical references, natural world of rain and the moon at night, opposites, and hope, rooted in the country, village, mining and finding oneself through a complexity of relationships. I've only read blocks of it (and some others) but then I'm a hopeless reader of fiction. Then there are the films often by Ken Russell which I have seen but I preferred The Rainbow with Imogen Stubbs and Kate Buffery shown on BBC TV.

Main works (only)

The White Peacock 1911
Sons and Lovers 1913
The Rainbow 1915
Women In Love 1920
Aaron's Rod 1922
Kangaroo 1923
The Plumed Serpent 1926
Lady Chatterley's Lover 1928
(1932, 1959 - dead)
The Virgin And The Gipsy 1930 (dead)

As well as novels he wrote poetry, short stories, plays, travel writings, essays, and translated books.

Some well known films

Sons and Lovers
Women in Love
The Rainbow

Also The Rainbow (1993) (two parts) and Lady Chatterley's Lover (a short series) have been produced for television by the BBC.

Chronology of Life

Born Eastwood, Nottinghamshire 11/9/1885
Beauvale Board School, Eastwood; Nottingham High School 1891-1901
Pupil/ assistant teacher at the British School, Eastwood; p/t student at Ilkeston Pupil-Teacher Centre 1902-
Student at University College, Nottingham 1906-
Teaching at Davidson Road School, Croydon; engaged to Louie Burrows; death of mother; no longer engaged; resigns after long illness 1908-
To Nottinghamshire again; meets Frieda Weekley and both go to Germany and then Italy 1912-
Marries Frieda Weekley (in England) 1914
Settles in Mexico (with much world travel as far as Australia, United States, European countries) 1923
Italy travel (also sees Eastwood) and settles 1925-1926
European travel 1927-
Settles in France 1929
Dies in France 2/3/1930

In General...

On Sons and Lovers

The Rainbow

On Christianity

Lady Chatterley's Lover

There were three Lady Chatterley's Lover versions:
The First Lady Chatterley (1928) This was not particularly sexual and although it has the affair it is more social and political.
John D. H. and Lady Jane (1932) The gamekeeper is called Parkin, not Mellors, who is more tender and not bitter. She is Lady Jane, not Lady Chatterley. There is more discovering themselves and not just about sex, though the sexual healing is in it.
Lady Chatterley's Lover (1959) This is the swearing version, with a hard and bitter gamekeeper engaging in the sexual act with her ladyship, and led to the notorious and ground breaking trial.

Bibliography

Some general points from dialogue between Mark Kinkead-Weekes and Ian Gregor in Watts (1976), 135-152

An interpreted summary of points made about Sons and Lovers in dialogue by Laurence Lerner and Barry Supple in Watts (1976), 49-52.

Watts, C. (intro.) (1976), The English Novel, Questions in Literature series, London: Sussex Books.

Links and detail

http://mss.library.nottingham.ac.uk/dhl_faq.html http://web.ukonline.co.uk/rananim/lawrence/