Lady Chatterley's Lover

Lawrence's commentary on English industrial society is pointed and vitriolic. It's clear he sympathises with the working class and disdains upper class hubris. It was useful having background on the time period from reading Orwell's Road to Wigan Pier and Hommage to Catalonia. Both Lawrence and Orwell share similar perspectives on the pernicious impacts of industrialisation, consumerist society and the consequential demise of romanticism and celebration of the human spirit. The period is a pretty fascinating one as it seemed that the old aristocracy were on their last legs, recognising (albeit reluctantly) their irrelevance in a society that was growing to recognise modern ideas of social mobility and egalitarianism. The characters felt a bit one dimensional, each one having a strong point of view, never really questioning their own perspectives. The novel is a sucker for romantics, with a lot of romantic literary techniques used by Shelley, Eliot and what not. Overall, I liked Lawrence's criticism on social injustice and entrenched class norms in modern England but found myself eye rolling at the shallow characters and cliche romantic narrative. I appreciated the provocative language and (for its time) unconventional focus on a woman's sexual desires and sexual fulfilment.

Having made copious notes, (would not have subjected myself to this were it not for a fortuitously timed intersection of online book club and library copy availability) where do I start to sum up my thoughts and feelings? 

I was surprised there was no firm final tragic parting of the lovers, as the text occasionally seemed to be leaning and which I think historical classics are often guilty of.

I feel like as forward thinking as Lawrence may have been in his day, he's so far behind where we are now in relation to sex and gender that I can't sing his praises.

I am glad that his challenge against the soul-crushing, polluting industries and capitalism of his day was out there for all to read, similarly his painful repetition of instances of classism indicating how destructive such a system is.

Connie and Oliver are flawed, but they work as object lessons of how a society set up with certain roles and expectations does a disservice to all involved, whether they act in accordance with the rules or try to step outside them. Oliver and Clifford also distill how wretched wars/conflicts/military's effect on humans is.

 My gut instinct that many historical classics decided to present their message via the medium of misery is holding steady, unfortunately, and it's not my preferred reading. 
 
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এই বইটা পড়তে গেলে প্রাপ্তমনষ্ক হতে হবে। নাহলে সামাজিকতার দাস হলে এই একবিংশ শতাব্দীতেও আপনি হয়ত বইটাকে পর্নোগ্রাফিক বলে চিহ্নিত করবেন। বইটার প্রাথমিক নাম ছিল ‘টেন্ডারনেস', ওটাই বেশি অ্যাপ্রোপ্রিয়েট ছিল হয়ত।

লরেন্স জীবদ্দশায় ও এবং তার পরেও যথেষ্ট কন্ট্রোভার্সির কেন্দ্রে ছিলেন। কিন্তু, একটা অথেনটিসি আছে লোকটার। আর অথেনটিক এক্সপ্রেশন যেহেতু আর্টের কেন্দ্রে, লরেন্স টিঁকে যাবেন বহুদিন।