The Trial Of Lady Chatterley's Lover

About the author

Sybille Bedford (1911-2006) was born in Charlottenburg, Germany and grew up in Italy, France, and England. The account of her travels in Mexico, A Visit to Don Otavio, was her first published book in 1953, and she followed it with three novels, A Legacy (1956), A Favourite of the Gods (1963) and A Compass Error (1968). Her semi-autobiographical novel, Jigsaw, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1989. Her memoir, Quicksands, was published in 2005.

Summary

When Penguin released a new, unexpurgated edition of DH Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover in 1960 they were charged with the crime of publishing obscene material. The publisher was forced to defend the book's literary merit in a court of law -- thus beginning one of the most famous trials of the 20th century.
There to take it all in, armed with her pencil and paper, was Sybille Bedford - who wastes no time complaining about the claustrophobia of Courtroom 1 at the Old Bailey. With her trademark wit and flair, Bedford presents us with a play-by-play of the trial: from the prosecution's questioning of the novel's thirteen sexual encounters and their listing of all 66 instances of swear words, to the dozens of witnesses who testified - including the Bishop of Woolwich and E. M. Forster.
Bedford gives us a timeless and dramatic account that captures one of the most fascinating and absurd moments in both legal and publishing history, when attitudes and morals shifted forever.

Foreword

The first full-scale literary trial in Britain's history - re-counted by the ever-charming and inimitable Sybille Bedford.

Product details

• Authors: Sybille Bedford
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.11.2016
• EAN: 9781907970979
• ISBN: 978-1-907970-97-9
• No. of pages: 80
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 10 mm
• Weight: 108 g
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > English linguistics / literary studies; England, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / General, True stories, LAW / Media & the Law, LAW / Entertainment, True stories: general, c 1960 to c 1970, Sex and sexuality, social aspects, c 1960 to c 1969, Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Entertainment & media law, Ethical issues and debates, Ethical Issues: Pornography & Obscenity, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Human Sexuality, Entertainment and media law, LITERARY CRITICISM / Novel as Form