• Lady Chatterley's Lover

  • By: D. H. Lawrence
  • Narrated by: Maxine Peake
  • Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (152 ratings)

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Lady Chatterley's Lover  By  cover art

Lady Chatterley's Lover

By: D. H. Lawrence
Narrated by: Maxine Peake
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Publisher's summary

Explicit descriptions of sex and "unprintable" words meant that D. H. Lawrence’s notorious novel could only be printed in Florence when it was published in 1928. Almost entitled Tenderness by the author, it tells the story of the physical relationship between the aristocratic protagonist Constance Chatterley and gamekeeper Oliver Mellors - which occurs right under the nose of her wheelchair-bound husband, Clifford.

In exploring the class system of the early 20th century, the novel also touches upon the declining coal-mining industry, its effect on the workers, and the politics which surrounded it. Yet possibly the most important theme in this intimate and moving novel is the individual’s need for physical as well as intellectual satisfaction in order to feel a sense of completeness.

Public Domain (P)2011 Naxos AudioBooks
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: Erotica

What listeners say about Lady Chatterley's Lover

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very good; not for the easily offended

I'll start with the bottom line: This is a very good (but not perfect) rendering of an excellent novel.

The narration was OK. There aren't really any flaws in it, but I didn't think it was a great performance. It's probably a matter of taste, but I found the male characters could have been performed better.

As for the novel: I though it was wonderful. There are, of course, the famous "sexual" parts which, surprisingly, are not as tame-sounding as you might expect after 80 years. But that's not really the point of the book. What really impressed me was the quality of the writing, and I'll try to explain what it was that I found so striking. Usually in a novel, when you have several main characters and one of these is undergoing some sort of change, you get the feeling that the other characters are more or less stationary, merely going on with their lives or reacting to the character that's currently in focus. But in this novel, or at least in parts of it, Lawrence has four main characters developing simultaneously in different directions. I thought this was very well done.

So: A very good book. Perhaps not the world-changing book it used to be, but definitely worthwhile.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lady Chatterley's Lover

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is the third of the three versions of Lady C.. written by Lawrence and it is my least favorite. It was written at the end of his life while he was dying of tuberculosis and sometimes it does seem feverish. It as if he took all of his concerns and put them into the mouth of Mellors who becomes his self-righteous mouthpiece. They seem as dated now as does the plight of coal minors in the English Midlands. The other versions are more universal.

That said, you can't go wrong with Lawrence. It is best to read all or most of Lawrence to appreciate the spirit of his message. I first read Lady C. 50 years ago and I knew then, in my early 20's, that it was an important and beautiful work and now, in my 70's, iI know better why that is so. It may take a lifetime to see the obvious.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Permanent classic love story.

No wonder this stays alive after so many years. In context of the era, it is utterly remarkable that Lawrence could squeeze so many layers as intellectual achievement, caregiving, class separation, male dominance, inheritance, and ultimately sexual freedom into one story. Men are still trying to suppress women's desire for sexual pleasure, but mostly because of their own lack of true masculinity. Nothing has changed. Trump lives.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Uninspired

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Better narration. I am so uninspired by this narration that I just cannot continue. Have already purchased a different version.

Has Lady Chatterley's Lover turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

Would you be willing to try another one of Maxine Peake’s performances?

Absolutely not.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Lady Chatterley's Lover?

Can't answer, as I am so uninspired I simply cannot continue with it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

This story is a great form of birth control

Soooooo, I was reading about banned books and obscenity trials and the Smoot-Hawley Tarriff Act, and I thought I'd see what the fuss was about in these old books that got them banned...the first one on the list was Lady Chatterly's Lover. I love a period drama, so I thought I was in for a Downton Abbey/Pride & Prejudice (plus sex) good time.

Well, not exactly...
A. Unless you find tedious prose titillating, perhaps save those hours of your life.
B. I don't understand how one is meant to keep a straight face, during sexy times, when a man is seriously referring to his equipment as "John Thomas"...REPEATEDLY!!! I laughed, and laughed...but then I cried, once I remembered that I paid money for this torture.

This book felt more like a permanent form of birth control...it's so bad, and so boring, it makes Twilight seem interesting.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

A most depressing story.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Although it contains some beautiful language this is a consistently dark grey depressing story about very unhappy people. There are no characters to be admired.

Which character – as performed by Maxine Peake – was your favorite?

None- thats the problem with the book.

Did Lady Chatterley's Lover inspire you to do anything?

Suicide

Any additional comments?

Shame on all the English teachers who hold this up as one of the best novels ever written.

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