Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - O Amante de Lady Chatterley

I’ve never met the man yet who was capable of intimacy with a woman, giving himself up to her. That was what I wanted. I’m not keen on their self-satisfied tenderness, and their sensuality. I’m not content to be any man’s little petsy-wetsy, nor his ‘chair à plaisir’ either. I wanted a complete intimacy, and I didn’t get it. That’s enough for me.”

Lady Chatterly’s Lover is a risqué visit to the English countryside just after World War II…filled with passion, drama, and enlightenment.

It was after I watched the Netflix movie (with Emma Corrin and Matthew Duckett as Lady Chatterly and Mellors, respectively) that I was searching at the beginning of my To Be Read list for my next read. It was an obvious choice!

While the movie focused almost solely on Lady Chatterly’s marriage and sizzling affair, the book dives deeper into the parallel societal evolution going on at the time (the shift from titled property ownership and farming to industry), as well as sexism, classism, sex, and the (timeless) differences between men and women. Like many classics, there is a fair amount of pontificating, but I found it surprisingly relatable and enlightening.

Fortunately, the book doesn't shy away from steamy sex scenes and has the added perk of covering the philosophical aspects of romantic relationships. Though, Lawrence’s obsession with “loins,” “wombs,” and “bowels” was definitely chuckle-worthy and mildly distracting.

As a woman who was stifled on the “good girl” path for 39 years, I was cheering Lady Chatterley on and reveling in her newfound physical AND emotional intimacy with Mellors. You go, girl.

Content Warnings

theloosepage's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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lozbot27's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I loved this book. To me Connie is one of the most relatable and sincere female protagonists I have ever read. As a young woman still trying to understand her sexual pleasure preferences and how to be a part of a relationship and read the other person, this book reflects a lot of my vulnerabilities. But the discussions on class, industrialism, romanticism and female independence, disability, war, and sexual preference are some of the many reasons why I recommend people read this book. The men in the novel aren't entirely agreeable including Mellors, but they are interesting fully formed individuals. The language can be challenging but I felt it was accessible.

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zosiablue's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Well. I had a lot of feelings reading this! First, it's the book every kid knows is filthy, but I didn't read it until age 42. It definitely would've felt VERY dirty if I read it as a kid. Second, it felt like the eroticism was clickbait to get to his real point: classism and socialism and feminism, and hating rich people, ambition, and status. Which, yeah man! Third, like main character Mellors switches between his Derbyshire and posh accents, it felt like the writing was sometimes very bad and then sometimes very brilliant. Maybe this was an editing thing!

Regardless, it was a funny little book that affected me even though none of the characters were likable. And in fact, many of them felt unsettling. (Connie's dad??)

And I was expecting a different ending! But the ending we got is good.

Content Warnings

yolanda_h's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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kat1105's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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sarahyjackson's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A re-read outside the classroom for a book club. Look, certainly parts of the text should be and are criticized. But I marveled still about the questions Lawrence puts to his readers about self, partnership, class, and more.

<Also, it is a profoundly unique experience to read a romance book in which the leads are not very likable.>

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