Lady C: The Long, Sensational Life of ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’

In this entertaining account, Cuthbertson (Peace at Last), a professor of British literature and culture at Liverpool Hope University, examines the enduring impact of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. First published in 1928 in Italy, the book, which follows an upper-class woman who has an affair with a gamekeeper, was immediately controversial, due to its sexually explicit scenes and strong language. It was banned in the U.S. and the U.K., leading travelers to smuggle copies in their luggage. The bans sparked legal challenges in the U.S. and Japan, with the most famous trial occurring in the U.K. in 1960 after Penguin Books challenged British law by publishing an uncensored version of the book. Authors like Rebecca West and E.M. Forster defended its literary value, and the jury found Penguin not guilty of “publishing an obscene article,” opening the door for its mass distribution. It was an enormous commercial success, but many readers remained furtive, often covering their copy with brown paper. Despite the complicated feelings the book engendered, Cuthbertson makes a convincing case for its lasting influence on literature and culture—including providing sex education where none existed, inspiring film and television adaptations, and becoming a touchstone for issues of free speech and censorship. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation for the novel. (May)