Lady Chatterley’s Lover in Terminalcoffee

Feb 11, 2009 Kirk rated it liked it

Shelves: medium-warm

I see a lot of my GR friends are currently reading this, so I'll be interested to see what they think of it. I understand the importance of this one--free speech, yo---but honestly, I wasn't blown away. I prefer Ginny Woolf, in fact. Part of it is that Lawrence is too damn Freudian for me. And all the stuff about women needing civilization fucked out of them by virile treetrimmers seems a little misogynistic. I know the historical context out of which Lawrence is writing, what with industrializa I see a lot of my GR friends are currently reading this, so I'll be interested to see what they think of it. I understand the importance of this one--free speech, yo---but honestly, I wasn't blown away. I prefer Ginny Woolf, in fact. Part of it is that Lawrence is too damn Freudian for me. And all the stuff about women needing civilization fucked out of them by virile treetrimmers seems a little misogynistic. I know the historical context out of which Lawrence is writing, what with industrialization and war sapping the natural semen-spewing strength of all us who can grow hair on chests (trust me, I value all three of mine; they're insured by Lloyd's of London). Still, that only dates LLCoolLady more for me.

Finally there's the sex. Shocking in its day, but 80 years later, it has all the poetry of your average Penthouse Forum entry. Seriously, dudes, don't name your peen. Especially don't name it John Thomas. It makes your reader think of The Waltons (i.e. John Boy, portrayed by Richard Thomas). And if you feel the need to write about anal, try not to justify it saying you're ridding your lady of "shame, which is fear: the deep organic shame, the old, old physical fear which crouches in the bodily roots of us, and can only be chased away by the sensual fire, at last it was roused up and routed by the phallic hunt of the man.” In my (admittedly limited) experience, chicks don't go for that ole "phallic hunt" line.

In the end (no pun intended), I think this book is most interesting to read alongside the history of 1920s’ and 30s' sexology. To wit, a line from Theodoor van de Velde's Ideal Marriage, one of the most popular (and controversial) sex manuals of the era: “What both man and woman, driven by obscure primitive urges, wish to feel in the sexual act ... is the essential force of maleness, which expresses itself in a sort of violent and absolute possession of the woman. And so both of them can and do exult in a certain degree of male aggression and dominance—whether actual or apparent—which proclaims this essential force.” Like I said, a tough sell these days.

Still, looking forward to seeing other folks' reviews. Get on the stick, RA (not literally, of course). ...more

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Nov 21, 2008 Daniel rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

I realize "Lady Chatterley's Lover" was groundbreaking when first published 80 years ago, but in 2008 the novel feels like a cross between Penthouse Forum and "Upstairs, Downstairs." I enjoyed several of D.H. Lawrence's short stories when I read them in college, but this book seemed to provide little beyond titillation mixed with British class resentment. For this reader, it did little. ...more

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Feb 17, 2010 Cynthia Paschen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-list, book-group

I actually liked this more than I thought I would. I appreciated Lawrence's efforts to describe the woman's need for sexual pleasure. That said, my favorite parts were Connie's walks in the woods.

I kept wondering whether it was significant that the gamekeeper's young daughter was also named Connie. ...more

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