John Worthen - D. H. Lawrence: The Life of an Outsider

PENGUIN BOOKS

D. H. LAWRENCE

Concise but authoritative traces an extraordinary life and
restores an unfairly tarnished reputation Blake Morrison, Guardian

It is hard to imagine a more vivid, clear-sighted portrait Mark Crees, The Times Literary Supplement

A definitive, thrilling book, that is literary biography at its best Roger Lewis, Sunday Express

Engaging and utterly readable it is John Worthens great achievement to have created a Lawrence that does justice to the life and the work Brian Morton, Sunday Herald

Excellent D. J. Taylor, Independent on Sunday

A grand biography John Worthens deeply learned but immensely readable life could, and should, widen the circle of his candid friends Boyd Tonkin, Independent

Worthen evidently knows his subject from the inside out Lawrence is fortunate to have found such a gifted advocate Andrew Biswell, Scotland on Sunday

Worthens meticulous account stunningly comprehensive Jane Stevenson, Observer

Highly readable We are with Lawrence every step of the way as he rants and tramps around the world intensely moving Geoff Dyer, Daily Telegraph

Worthens account could hardly be bettered Jonathan Bate, Sunday Telegraph

Excellent a generous if mischievous spirit emerges Peter Washington, Literary Review

Superb one of those books where you cannot see how it could be better done George Walden, New Statesman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Worthen taught at universities in America and Wales before becoming Professor of D. H. Lawrence Studies at the University of Nottingham, where he remains Emeritus Professor. His career as Lawrences biographer began in the 1980s and resulted in the celebrated D. H. Lawrence: The Early Years 18851912, the first part of the three-volume Cambridge biography (CUP, 1991 8). Though based in Lawrences hometown of Nottingham, he has researched and travelled around the world to complete this portrait of the writer. He is now working on a life of Frieda Lawrence and a biography of the musician Robert Schumann.

JOHN WORTHEN

The Life of an Outsider

PENGUIN BOOKS

PENGUIN BOOKS

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First published by Allen Lane 2005
Published in Penguin Books 2006
1

Copyright John Worthen, 2005
All rights resereved

The moral right of the author has been asserted

EISBN: 9780141903934

He worked a great deal from memory, using everybody he knew. He believed firmly in his work, that it was good and valuable. In spite of fits of depression, shrinking, everything, he believed in his work. (D. H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers)

Myself, I suffer badly from being so cut-off. But what is one to do? At times one is forced to be essentially a hermit. I dont want to be. But anything else is either a personal tussle, or a money tussle: sickening: except, of course, for ordinary acquaintance, which remains acquaintance. One has no real human relations that is so devastating.

(D. H. Lawrence, letter to Trigant Burrow, 3 August 1927)

For Conni, David, Genevive, Joan and Mark

Note: a number of photographs have been assigned dates different from those in previous publications; the new dates may be considered more accurate. Asterisks designate first-time publication of images.

. D. H. Lawrence, Eastwood, c. 1886 (authors collection).

. Lawrence Family, Nottingham, c. 1895: back row Emily, George, Ernest; front row Ada, Lydia, D. H. Lawrence, Arthur; photograph by Phillips & Freckleton, Market Place (Ada Lawrence and G. Stuart Gelder, The Early Life of D. H. Lawrence, 1932, facing page 12).

. Beauvale School, Greasley, Boys Group III, 1894: Nocker Bradley 2nd row from back, 1st on left; D. H. Lawrence 3rd row, 2nd from left; George Neville 4th row, 2nd from left (University of Nottingham, La Z 8/1/1/3).

. Lydia Lawrence, Eastwood, c. 1895 (authors collection).

. D. H. Lawrence, Nottingham High School, 1899 or 1900; Modern IVth forms (Nottingham High School).*

. Chambers Family, the Haggs farm, 29 June 1899: May, Bernard, Mollie, Edmund, Ann, David, Jessie, Hubert, Alan (authors collection).

. Jessie Chambers, Nottingham, c. 1907 (authors collection).

. D. H. Lawrence, Nottingham, 11 September 1906 (authors collection).

. Helen Corke, Croydon, c. 1903 (authors collection).

. Louie Burrows, Leicester, c. 13 February 1909 (University of Nottingham, La Phot 1/38/1).

11. D. H. Lawrence, Croydon, c. 12 December 1908 (authors collection).

. Alice and Phyllis Dax, Shirebrook, c. 1915 (authors collection).

. Frieda and Ernest Weekley, Freiburg, c. 1901, photograph cut down by Ernest Weekley to fit a watch or locket; from a larger original showing the garden of the Blas sisters house on the Eichberg, Freiburg, and a view over the landscape (Ian Weekley).

. Monty, Frieda and Barbara Weekley, Nottingham, c. 1905 (authors collection).

. D. H. Lawrence, London, 26 June 1913; photograph by W. G. Parker, 40 High Holborn (authors collection).

. D. H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Frieda and John Middleton Murry, South Kensington, 13 July 1914 (the Lawrences wedding day); photograph probably by Gordon Campbell, back garden of 9 Selwood Terrace (University of Nottingham, La Z 8/1/1/9).

. D. H. Lawrence, London, late summer 1915; photograph by Elliott and Fry Ltd, 63 Baker Street (by courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London).

. William Henry Hocking, Cornwall, c. 1917 (C. J. Stevens, Lawrence at Tregerthen, 1988, between pp. 68 and 69).

. Frieda Lawrence, London, October 1919; passport photograph (authors collection).

. D. H. Lawrence, Derbyshire, c. June 1918; photograph by Enid Hopkin (University of Nottingham, La Z 8/1/1/11).

. Maurice Magnus, c. 1920; passport photograph (University of Nottingham, La L 11/2).

. D. H. Lawrence, Florence, 19 September 1921; passport photograph (authors collection).

. Rosalind Baynes with her daughter Bridget, 1914 (John Coffey).

. Mabel and Tony Luhan, New Mexico, c. 1925 (Lois Rudnick, Utopian Vistas: The Mabel Dodge Luhan House and the American Counterculture, 1996, p. 38).

. D. H. Lawrence, Bibbles and Frieda, Del Monte ranch, Taos, FebruaryMarch 1923; photograph by Knud Merrild (Knud Merrild, A Poet and Two Painters, 1938, facing p. 160).

photograph by Witter Bynner ( University of Nottingham, La WB 1/17).