▁can ▁read ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁boys — reading ▁this ▁book ? ▁Is ▁it ▁a ▁book ▁you ▁would ▁have ▁lying ▁around ▁your ▁own ▁house ? ▁Is ▁it ▁a ▁book ▁that ▁you ▁would ▁even ▁wish ▁your ▁wife ▁or ▁your ▁servants ▁to ▁read ?" ▁This ▁last ▁question ▁was ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁some ▁am usement ▁in ▁the ▁court , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁signal ▁of ▁how ▁out ▁of ▁touch ▁the ▁establishment ▁were ▁with ▁every day ▁life ▁has ▁echo ed ▁in ▁popular ▁culture ▁since . ▁He ▁also ▁conced ed ▁that ▁Lawrence ▁was ▁a ▁writer ▁of ▁stat ure ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁some ▁literary ▁value ▁but ▁the ▁obsc en ity ▁of ▁its ▁language , ▁its ▁recommendation ▁of ▁what ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁ad ul ter ous ▁prom is cu ity ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁plot ▁is ▁mere ▁padding ▁for ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁sexual ▁inter course ▁out we ighed ▁any ▁such ▁defence . ▁ ▁Ger ald ▁Gard iner ▁out lined ▁the ▁case ▁for ▁the ▁defence : ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁not ▁obsc ene ▁under ▁section ▁ 2 ▁as ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁dep ra ve ▁or ▁cor rupt ▁anyone , ▁and ▁that ▁due ▁to ▁Lawrence ’ s ▁status ▁the ▁work ▁satisfied ▁section ▁ 4 . ▁That ▁" L aw rence ’ s ▁message , ▁as ▁you ▁have ▁heard , ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁society ▁of ▁his ▁day ▁in ▁England ▁was ▁sick , ▁he ▁thought , ▁and ▁the ▁sick ness ▁from ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁suffering ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁machine ▁age , ▁the ▁' b itch - god dess ▁Success ', ▁the