The First Lady Chatterley's Lover

Lawrence wrote three drafts of ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ between 1926 and 1928: ‘The First Lady Chatterley’, ‘John Thomas and Lady Jane’ and the final version, ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’. All three books are published as ebooks by the Blackthorn Press.

Although all three books have the same story line of an aristocratic woman falling in love with a working class man, there are differences in their tone and sensibilities. Many critics have preferred this, the first version and Geoffrey Strickland, writing in Encounter, in 1971 concluded his article by saying, ‘Why Lawrence altered the novel three times is a matter mainly for speculation. But that he altered it disastrously is, in my view, beyond question.’ Strickland was of his time and for the modern reader, the last version with its more frank exploration of the sexual attraction of the two lovers is perhaps more rewarding. This, the first version, with its muted sexual scenes, lacks the reality and passion of the later versions. All three versions are now available in ebook format from the Blackthorn Press and the reader can now compare and decide.