D. H. Lawrence

A Calibre selection of poetry by D H Lawrence.

Constance Chatterley, married to Sir Clifford, an aristocraticic intellectual who is paralyzed from the waist down after the First World War, finds herself involved in a passionate relationship with their gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. A vivid depiction of the emotional and physical connection between a couple otherwise divided by station and society.

This controversial classic follows the lives and loves of three generations of the Brangwen family, between 1840 and 1905. Their tempestuous relationships are played out against a backdrop of change as they witness the arrival of industrialization - the only constant being their unending attempts to grasp a higher form of existence, symbolized by the persistent, unifying motif of the 'rainbow'.

This collection of short stories traces the development of D H Lawrence as a writer. His early tales draw on personal experience from childhood to the First World War. Later stories express his developing ideas from early realism towards myth and fairy tale, murder and ghost stories.

Paul Morel finds himself torn between love for his demanding mother and his two very different lovers in this semi-autobiographical novel set in a Nottinghamshire coalmining village at the turn of the 20th century.

Daring, transgressive and controversial, D.H. Lawrence scandalized the literary world with his frank descriptions of sex and desire. He was censored by his own publisher for being too explicit, and several of his most famous works were banned under the Obscene Publications Act. But for Lawrence, a self-described 'priest of love', passion was the stuff of life - and these two dynamic reimaginings celebrate him at his most fearless, pushing the boundaries of sexuality at the dawn of the 20th Century.

The Rainbow is seen through the eyes of Ursula Brangwen, and spans three generations of her family from 1840 to 1905. Unsatisfied with the limited choices open to women, Ursula delves into the histories of her mother, Anna, and grandmother Lydia, in an attempt to find a path to follow as she grapples with the forces of passion and desire. From her first crush to an illicit same-sex love affair, we follow Ursula on her journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery. 

In Women in Love, Ursula's younger sister, Gudrun, comes into equal focus, as she and Ursula search for happiness and fulfilment in the Midlands mining town of Beldover. Gudrun, an artist, embarks on an affair with coalmine owner Gerald Crich; while schoolteacher Ursula falls in love with his friend, school inspector Rupert Birkin. But while Ursula and Rupert grow closer, Gudrun and Gerald's relationship is threatened by Gerald's inability to express his emotions - and his tangled feelings for Rupert...

Ursula Brangwen is attracted to Rupert Birkin, her sister Gudrun is drawn to Gerald Crich. As the two women earn their living and consider the issue of marriage, the men deal with issues of sexuality and power, and whether the love of a woman is enough. Both men have homosexual urges which compete with their feelings for women.