D. H. Lawrence

A Calibre selection of poetry by D H Lawrence.

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'.

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...