On this day in 1960, the acquittal of Penguin Books in a significant obscenity case regarding Lady Chatterley’s Lover, authored by D.H. Lawrence, takes place.
The lawsuit against the publisher stemmed from the release of an unexpurgated edition of Lawrence’s novel, which explores the affair between the wife of a wealthy landowner, who is paralyzed, and the gamekeeper of their estate. Initially, the book had a limited English-language release in Florence in 1928, followed by Paris the next year.
In 1932, an expurgated edition was made available in England. Following that, in 1959, the complete text found publication in New York, with a London release the subsequent year.
Born into a struggling coal-mining family in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, in 1885, Lawrence’s mother endeavored to instill in her children a sense of refinement and a passion for education. She relied extensively on Lawrence for emotional nurturing and support. With a scholarship to Nottingham High School, he later worked as a clerk and attended University College in Nottingham, where he obtained a teaching certificate.
His debut novel, The White Peacock, was released in 1911.
In 1912, Lawrence fell for Frieda Weekley, a German woman married to a fellow teacher. The couple escaped to Germany and married once Frieda finalized her divorce.
The following year, Lawrence released his first significant work, Sons and Lovers, an autobiographical narrative set in a coal-mining town. After their return to England, his next book, The Rainbow (1915), faced a ban due to indecency.
After the First World War, Lawrence journeyed to Italy, Australia, and Mexico, producing several more works, including Women in Love (1921).
He succumbed to tuberculosis in France in 1930, passing away at 44 years old.
