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Lady Chatterley's Lover
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Of the many exquisite books written by D.H.Lawrence, the book which has gained the most popularity has been Lady Chatterley's Lover. Most famous because of its obscenity trial during the 1960's, Lady Chatterley's Lover is far from a "dirty book." Rather, through his usage of local vernacular and an in depth look at the true relationship between two humans, Lawrence has successfully portrayed sex as sacred in a world where sex is viewed as nothing more than physical pleasure. This novel is a masterful example of a writer going back to everyone's common roots and emerging with a thought provoking masterpiece designed to affect a change within its readers. Good literature announces to the world a common truth that needs to be shared, but great literature, like Lady Chatterley's Lover, provokes a revolution within the human psyche. Lady Chatterley reshapes the individual's views on sex, love, and everything accompanying what Lawrence viewed as the ultimate act. Lady Chatterley's Lover is a true masterpiece that takes a stand against the sex-obsessed culture we live in today.--Submitted by Ann
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I loved this book. I am 60 years old (a young 60, or the new 40 as they say). I wish I had read this at 20, so I could compare my feelings for it today (hopefully, I would still remember the story). It could have been written today in that society is still the same only computers have been substituted for the coal mines. The coldness of some people; their selfishness; some men's total inability to think of the woman's lot in life-only their own; class distinction; rich vs. poor; the rich living off of the backs of the poor. The cruelness of gossip and jealousy, all so "popular" today, even more so with young girls and bullying, as mentioned in the storeyline. At first I had to ask myself if DH was actually a woman, as his thoughts are so familiar to me! But after reading about his childhood, I understand more his feelings.--Submitted by Kathi Gray
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Recent Forum Posts on Lady Chatterley's Lover
pale with the pallor of endless little anemones, sprinkling the shaken floor
Hi, Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover(chapter. 8) by DH Lawrence (planetebook, page 122): (background:The following paragraph is what Connie saw when walking in the forest..……） Little gusts of sunshine blew, strangely bright, and lit up the celandines at the wood's edge, under the hazel-rods, they spangled out bright and yellow. And the wood was still, stiller, but yet gusty with crossing sun. The first windflowers were out, and all the wood seemed pale with the pallor of endless little anemones, sprinkling the shaken floor. 'The world has grown pale with thy breath.' But it was the breath of Persephone, this time; she was out of hell on a cold morning. Cold breaths of wind came, and overhead there was an anger of entangled wind caught among the twigs. It, too, was caught and trying to tear itself free, the wind, like Absalom. How cold the anemones looked, bobbing their naked white shoulders over crinoline skirts of green. But they stood it. A few first bleached little primroses too, by the path, and yellow buds unfolding themselves. I feel the pale and pallor indicate a sad color, and the shaken floor refers to the floor, which is shaken by the wind and happy plants. But I don't know whether Connie like the scene or dislike it by this paragraph. What's the main idea of this paragraph please? Thank you very much
I really like women better than men; they are braver, one can be more frank with them
Hi, Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover（page 79, Chapter Six) by DH Lawrence (planetebook): (background: The following is what Tommy Dukes said, whose opinion is usually Lawrence's……） ‘Oh, but they do! I don’t think since the human species was invented, there has ever been a time when men and women have liked one another as much as they do today. Genuine liking! Take myself. I really like women better than men; they are braver, one can be more frank with them.’ Why did Lawrence/Michaelis think women were better, braver and franker then men please? Thank you in advance
How could one say Yes? for years and years
Hi, Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover（page 64, Chapter Five) by DH Lawrence (planetebook): (background: Clifford and Connie were going around in their wood. Clifford suggested Connie have a son with another man，who should be from upper-class. Connie hesitated: go on weaving herself into his life all the rest of her life? Nothing else?……） Was it just that? She was to be content to weave a steady life with him, all one fabric, but perhaps brocaded with the occasional flower of an adventure. But how could she know what she would feel next year? How could one(=I/Connie) ever know? How could one(=I/Connie?) say Yes? for years and years? The little yes, gone on a breath! How should I understand the blue sentence please? Does the one refer to Connie herself? I take it to be how could I say: "Yes, (I love you) for years and years" Is that possible? Thank you in advance
speaker of each paragraph
Hi, dear friends The following dialogue is from Lady Chatterley's lover （page 54, near the ending of Chapter Four) by DH Lawrence (planetebook). I don't know who is the speaker of each paragraph. Could you please give me some help? Thank you in advance ‘My dear man, it allows the material premiss; so does the pure mind .*.*. exclusively.’ (by Tommy Dukes, I think) ‘At least Bolshevism has got down to rock bottom,’ said Charlie. ‘Rock bottom! The bottom that has no bottom! The Bolshevists will have the finest army in the world in a very short time, with the finest mechanical equipment.(by whom? By the way, in another version, there IS another quotation mark ’ here) ‘But this thing can’t go on .*.*. this hate business. There must be a reaction .*.*. ’ said Hammond. ‘Well, we’ve been waiting for ten years .*.*. we can wait longer. Hate’s a growing thing like anything else. It’s the inevitable outcome of forcing ideas on to life, of forcing one’s deepest instincts; our deepest feelings we force according to certain ideas. We drive ourselves with a formula, like a machine. The logical mind pretends to rule the roost and the roost turns into pure hate. We’re all Bolshevists, only we are hypocrites. The Russians are Bolshevists without hypocrisy.’ (by Charlie or Tommy Dukes?) ‘But there are many other ways,’ said Hammond, ‘than the Soviet way. The Bolshevists aren’t really intelligent.’ (by Hammond?) ‘Of course not. But sometimes it’s intelligent to be half-witted: if you want to make your end. Personally, I consider Bolshevism half-witted; but so do I consider our social life in the west half-witted. So I even consider our far-famed mental life half-witted. We’re all as cold as cretins, we’re all as passionless as idiots. We’re all of us Bolshevists, only we give it another name. We think we’re gods .*.*. gods like men! It’s just the same as Bolshevism. One has to be human, and have a heart and a penis if one is going to escape being either a god or a Bolshevist .*.*. for they are the same thing: they’re both too good to be true.’(by Charlie orTommy Dukes?R])
proud of the integrity of his mind, and of his not being a time-server
Hi, Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover（page 44, Chapter Four) by DH Lawrence (planetebook): (background: Clifford was getting rich and famous. His friends came visite him talking about sex and men-women relationship. Tommy Dukes told Hammond that mental life hinges on the instinct for success and is the pivot on which all things turn……） Hammond looked rather piqued(=angry). He was rather proud of the integrity of his mind, and of his not being a time-server. None the less, he did want success. The blue sentence seems to have nothing to do with what Tommy Dukes said in logic. How should I understand the blue sentence please? But I try my best to rephrase it as: he was quite(=rather) proud of the honisty(=integrity) of his mind, and of his not being a person who flatter/fawn on upperclass people(=being a time-server). All in all, he thought he didn't take success as his only goal, as Tommy Dukes blamed, and that he had a good quality. Is that right? Thank you in advance
Mental life
Hi, Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover by Lawrence : I must say it makes one prefer Buddha, quietly sitting under a bo-tree, or Jesus, telling his disciples little Sunday stories, peacefully, and without any mental fireworks. No, there’s something wrong with the mental life, radically. It’s rooted in spite and envy, envy and spite. Ye shall know the tree by its fruit. ( I guess mental life equals "the life of the mind", which I met in para.5, this chapter) I have met "mental life" many times in this novel, so I suspect it is a special cultural term, which is related to a certain cultural phenomenon, an organization or an activity. Could you tell me what it means please? Thank you in advance
she wanted a good deal from the life of a man
Hi, Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover（page 42, Chapter Four) by DH Lawrence (planetebook) (background: After having sexual intercourse with Michaelis, Connie felt their love affair was hopeless……） Yet other men seemed to mean nothing to her. She was attached to Clifford. He wanted a good deal of her life and she gave it to him. But she wanted a good deal from the life of a man, and this Clifford did not give her; could not. Michaelis needed(=wanted) Connie's life is because he needed her nursing and her help in writing his stories. But I don't think Connie needed a man's life. What she needed I think should be a man's love, physically and spiritually. So how should I understand the red sentence please? Thank you in advance
He gave the wry, quick hiss of a laugh
Hi, Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover（page 34, Chapter Three) by DH Lawrence (background: Connie invited Michaelis to livingroom, and said he was like a lonely bird. Michaelis said it's very nice of her to think of him……） "Why shouldn't I think of you?" she exclaimed, with hardly breath to utter it. He gave the wry, quick hiss of a laugh. "Oh, in that way!. . .May I hold your hand for a minute?" he asked suddenly, fixing his eyes on her with almost hypnotic power, and sending out an appeal that affected her direct in the womb. I know wry means sardonic, hiss means haha, but why did Michaelis laugh at Connie please? I feel he should have be grateful to her, because she, as a lady, cared about him, and even had sex with him, which will be mentioned the subsequent paragraphs. Thank you in advance
there is nothing
Hi Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover by Lawrence: "And you think it’s a writer of popular plays that you’ve got to be?"asked Connie. ‘There, exactly!" he said, turning to her in a sudden flash. "There’s nothing in it! There’s nothing in popularity. There’s nothing in the public, if it comes to that. There's nothing really in my plays to make them popular. It's not that. They just are like the weather. . .the sort that will have to be. . .for the time being." Nothings here are really hard to understand. I guess "there's nothing in it" means "it's nothing difficult to be a writer of popular plays", "there's nothing in popularity" means "it's nothing difficult for me to make my plays popular", and "there's nothing in the public" means "it's easy to attract the public attention". Is it right please? Thank you in advance
there is noting
Hi, dear friends Here are some words from Lady Chatterley's lover, page 30, chapter three (background: Michaelis was in Wragby, talking with Mellors and Connie. Whe Connie asked: "And you think it's a writer of popular plays that you've got to be?" Michaelis said ……） "There, exactly!" he said, turning to her in a sudden flash. "There's nothing in it! There's nothing in popularity. There's nothing in the public, if it comes to that. There's nothing really in my plays to make them popular. It's not that. They just are like the weather. . .the sort that will have to be. . .for the time being." There are several there is nothing in the quotations, but what do they mean? Do they all mean the same thing please? Thank you in advance
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