I've finished Lady Chatterley's Lover today. I know that many of my writer/ English Lit. Major friends don't particularly like this book because of the erotic scenes in it. But I thought they were done well with class and sincerity. There are quite a bit of rawness, even naughty elements totally exposed. But I think they are probably mild in comparison to erotica today. Though, I guess it's not the point considering the fact that this book was never written or published as an erotic book. Human sexuality does make some nervous, and adding into the values of the day then, it is understandable how much sensationalism this book had caused, during its days.
The story explores human sexuality and the requirements of a body and heart. Since when did that become wrong, or not real literature? The idea isn't about sex, the idea is about the connection between body, love and recognition as a human being, as a man, as a woman. The triangle of difficult relationship we have with our desires and flesh and the morality so we speak of.
While as a writer, I didn't much enjoy the category writers were put in, because certainly, we're not all like this, Clifford was probably my least favorite character. He feels overbearing. I figured he would be the most interesting character to read about, considering his own situation and the power he gets to wield and I was interested in finding out the different dynamic that would create. He is in an awkward situation and I think Lawrence could have shown Clifford at a different light that could have made him at least a slightly less revolting. We all have back stories and reasons for the way we are. We never got to explore Clifford's past, his difficulties with returning as a handicapped person from the war. We never discovered his sexual frustrations, the challenges he obviously faced in his marriage with Connie. Instead we got a very passive-aggressive Clifford. Nothing particularly is wrong with Clifford being this way. Obviously this is the way Lawrence has decided to carry him. He becomes so annoying that I wanted to choke him by the end of the book.
I loved the descriptions and scenes, such eloquent writing and the narrative summaries, expositions were done beautifully. However, I found the pacing to be a little slow, though I do enjoy such books. I am not much for people categorizing others so cruelly, coldly and having such negative outlook on the whole world. It feels like the writer is constantly comparing every single woman to Connie and no one could just come near her beauty, her reality, her personhood and her womanhood. It's impossible. No one, nothing is ever as good, as real as her fucking, as her personality, as her intelligence, as her womanhood. It becomes a little repetitious and boring after a while. I didn't understand why there was anything wrong with Hilda, her going after her own pleasure, her own understanding of the world and her will. That's obviously the feminist within me and its another way of analyzing texts.
I wouldn't say that this is my favorite book I've recently read, but it is a good book that definitely deserves its place amongst the classics. It definitely gets your wheels turning to think and rethink and analyze. It gets a great discussion going.
What did you think?
The story explores human sexuality and the requirements of a body and heart. Since when did that become wrong, or not real literature? The idea isn't about sex, the idea is about the connection between body, love and recognition as a human being, as a man, as a woman. The triangle of difficult relationship we have with our desires and flesh and the morality so we speak of.
While as a writer, I didn't much enjoy the category writers were put in, because certainly, we're not all like this, Clifford was probably my least favorite character. He feels overbearing. I figured he would be the most interesting character to read about, considering his own situation and the power he gets to wield and I was interested in finding out the different dynamic that would create. He is in an awkward situation and I think Lawrence could have shown Clifford at a different light that could have made him at least a slightly less revolting. We all have back stories and reasons for the way we are. We never got to explore Clifford's past, his difficulties with returning as a handicapped person from the war. We never discovered his sexual frustrations, the challenges he obviously faced in his marriage with Connie. Instead we got a very passive-aggressive Clifford. Nothing particularly is wrong with Clifford being this way. Obviously this is the way Lawrence has decided to carry him. He becomes so annoying that I wanted to choke him by the end of the book.
I loved the descriptions and scenes, such eloquent writing and the narrative summaries, expositions were done beautifully. However, I found the pacing to be a little slow, though I do enjoy such books. I am not much for people categorizing others so cruelly, coldly and having such negative outlook on the whole world. It feels like the writer is constantly comparing every single woman to Connie and no one could just come near her beauty, her reality, her personhood and her womanhood. It's impossible. No one, nothing is ever as good, as real as her fucking, as her personality, as her intelligence, as her womanhood. It becomes a little repetitious and boring after a while. I didn't understand why there was anything wrong with Hilda, her going after her own pleasure, her own understanding of the world and her will. That's obviously the feminist within me and its another way of analyzing texts.
I wouldn't say that this is my favorite book I've recently read, but it is a good book that definitely deserves its place amongst the classics. It definitely gets your wheels turning to think and rethink and analyze. It gets a great discussion going.
What did you think?
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