Click for full-size.
The Rainbow
by LAWRENCE, D.H
- Used
- near fine
- first
- Condition
- near fine
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Methuen, 1915. First. hardcover. near fine. 8vo, blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, and title in blind on the front cover. London: Methuen, 1915. First Edition.<br/> <br/> Near fine copy of a early Lawrence title, scarce, as half the edition was withdrawn due to obscenity charges.<br/> <br/>
Synopsis
D.H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow follows three generations of the Brangwen family, with a particular focus on the sexual dynamics of, and relations between, the characters. Tom Brangwen, who is… let’s say “not the brightest,” succeeds to his father’s farm and falls in love with Lydia Lensky, a Polish widow; Anna, Lydia’s daughter (and Tom’s stepdaughter), marries Will, a distant relative of Tom’s; Anna and Will’s oldest daughter, Ursula, is a modern working woman. For Tom Brangwen’s generation sex happens, but between the lines. For Anna and Will, bodies are alluded to and desires described. By the time Ursula Brangwen is a young woman, sex is frequent and directly addressed. This depiction of sexual desire as a natural force — perhaps spiritual, even! — caused quite a stir upon The Rainbow’s publication. The novel was almost instantly removed from the shelves of bookstores across the UKcountry and was then prosecuted in an obscenity trial in a British Magistrates’ court in November 1915, just two months after its release. As a result, roughly half of the copies of the novel’s original print run of were seized and burnt. The Rainbow was unavailable in the UK for 11 years following. Lawrence initially conceived The Rainbow and what became its sequel, Women in Love, as a single novel titled The Sisters. However, after much revision, that manuscript became two of the author’s greatest novels. The Rainbow is ranked 48th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century; Women in Love is ranked 49th.
Read More: Identifying first editions of The Rainbow
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Argosy Book Store
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 243621
- Title
- The Rainbow
- Author
- LAWRENCE, D.H
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - near fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First
- Publisher
- Methuen
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1915
Terms of Sale
Argosy Book Store
All items are offered net, subject to prior sale. Returns accepted within 7 days of receipt--please contact us first. Payment by Visa , Mastercard & American Express. Appropriate sales tax will be added for all N.Y. State residents
About the Seller
Argosy Book Store
Biblio member since 2004
New York, New York
About Argosy Book Store
We are a large retail store, with 6 floors of out-of-print and rare books, (including, Americana, modern first editions, history of medicine and science), antique maps and prints, autograph manuscripts, letters & signatures.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards
Exchanging Valentines can be an awkward process, especially when you consider “Vinegar Valentines” and other snarky sentiments - whatever your tastes, enjoy the sweet and sour cards alike in this gallery!
Collecting the Harlem Renaissance
One of the most influential - and certainly most iconic - cultural revolutions in American history, the Harlem Renaissance offers a compelling repertoire for both seasoned and novice book collectors. We’ve put together a beautiful gallery of high points to help start your collection here.
