A review by ellen_suth
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

challenging reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Do yourself a favour and just watch a modern adaptation. This book is too angry and self-important to really deliver on the premise of a meaningful romance. Every time you start to like Connie or Mellors, they have to snap you out of it by going on a rant about the gulf in nature between men and women, the evils of modernity, or how putrid and soulless the working class is. Very much a product of its time, with casual racism, homophobia and a LOT of antisemitism to boot. As other reviews have said, I don’t think we’d bother with it now if it hadn’t caused such a stir for its obscenity. There are some valuable insights into sexuality and good old British classism here that are very cutting for a book and writer of this era and I find it admirable that Lawrence clearly had a strong empathy for the women of his time, which can be seen in his writing of Connie. 

Unfortunately, the book is markedly more icky and uncomfortable than the adaptations I have seen on the front of consent, though. Nothing is ever outwardly non-consensual but Mellors does seem to almost take advantage at vulnerable moments for Connie, which was really off-putting for me, having only seen adaptations where Connie was definitely the instigator.

I just don’t think you’re missing anything by opting for an adaptation instead - you’ll get all the same themes in a fraction of the time and without having to endure Mellors trying to make himself unlikeable at every opportunity by spouting one of Lawrence’s belligerent rants about how cold and unloving women are. It is pretty amusing though to finish a description of Mellors lasting all of ten seconds in the act while Connie lies there like a blow-up doll and then on the next page he goes on a rant about how women don’t like sex. Seems like a skill issue, brother.
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