The Rainbow

The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence (1915)

Three generations of the Brangwen family in the English Midlands, from the agricultural rhythms of the 1840s to the industrial upheaval of the early 1900s. Lawrence's most lyrical novel — and the one that got him prosecuted for obscenity.

Historical Significance:
Published in September 1915, The Rainbow was seized by police and all copies destroyed by court order in November 1915 under the Obscene Publications Act. The prosecution was motivated less by sexual content (mild by modern standards) than by Lawrence's positive depiction of a lesbian relationship and his anti-war stance during World War I. The suppression devastated Lawrence and contributed to his self-imposed exile from England. The novel was not republished in Britain until 1949. It is now recognized as one of the great English novels — a sweeping family saga that traces how industrialization and modernity transformed English life and consciousness.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1915. Free to read and share.