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A BRACE AND A HALF OF GAMEKEEPERS
INTRODUCTION
In this study I propose to discuss the three published versions of D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley books. These books, all written between 1926 and 1928, share the common theme of the relationship between the wife of a crippled baronet and a gamekeeper, but Lawrence's treatment of this theme differs in many respects between the three versions. The characters, although fundamentally similar, have different temperaments, each book concludes differently and the overall emphasis of each book seems changed. I first read Lady Chatterley's Lover (LCL), which is the third version of the novel, in 1991. I borrowed it from the library knowing virtually nothing about the book other than it had been considered controversial. I did not know about the struggle to publish or the exact nature of the controversy. I had previously read only one other of Lawrence's novels, that being Sons and Lovers. Therefore, I read the novel with a completely open mind, quickly and without close study, as one would read any novel chosen for light reading.
I found LCL compelling and captivating. My first reaction, on finishing the book, was that Lawrence had depicted a relationship which seemed real. The characters behaved, for the most part, as I felt they should behave, given their circumstances, and the author kept hope alive at the end, although there seemed no clear or easy path to the future for the lovers. I certainly found nothing in the book which I would have said would "tend to deprave and corrupt persons... likely... to read ...it."1 In fact, not realising the extent of the furore that this book had caused, it didn't occur to me that it was controversially explicit - after all, one can read the word 'fuck' in any number of novels today, both light and literary - I was more struck by, what I felt to be, Lawrence's mastery of the fluctuating emotions of lovers.
In the early summer of 1993 a dramatisation of Lawrence's story was made for television. Produced by Ken Russell, himself a controversial figure, it attracted wide media attention: TV interviews; newspaper criticisms; letters from the viewing public and a repeat of a radio production of the trial of Regina v. Penguin Books Ltd. I did not watch the TV production, though I have now seen it on video and will comment in Chapter Four. I didn't watch the television version at the time because, having read the book, I was aware of the way in which it would be possible to decimate Lawrence's story and I didn't feel that I wanted my impression of the book violated. However, I did read the criticisms and articles and was interested to discover that Lawrence had written the novel three times. (It was quite usual for Lawrence to write more than one version of his works. He did not merely revise his work, but rewrote the whole piece.) My curiosity aroused, I then bought all three versions of the story.
Firstly, I re-read LCL, which I again found enjoyable. Next, I read The First Lady Chatterley (TFLC) which, on first impression, did not come alive for me in the way that the first one I read did. Finally, I read the second version John Thomas and Lady Jane (JTLJ) which has become my personal favourite, for reasons which I will discuss later.
In the first three chapters, I intend to look at the three versions, to discuss some of the author's perceived aims and my interpretation of some of the points put forward. In a work of this length I cannot discuss every issue dealt with in these novels, they are wide-ranging and profound, and so I have chosen to comment upon the issues which I found most interesting and thought-provoking. In the fourth chapter I will discuss the TV dramatisation. Finally, in my conclusion I will sum up my views and attempt to explain the reason for my preference for JTLJ.
(Throughout this work numbers in parenthesis refer to pages in the book being discussed in any particular chapter)