Share

cover art for Episode 35 - Lady Chatterley's Lover

Save Me From My Shelf

Episode 35 - Lady Chatterley's Lover

Season 4, Ep. 35

Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. In our Season Four opener, Valentine's Day special, and thirty-fifth episode, we recap D.H. Lawrence's controversial, court case-launching novel full of weird sex and four-letter words, Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928). The episode teaches us many things: the difference between the normal West and exotic East Midlands, the mystery of eggs, the effects of purple prose, and when we finally need to put that 'explicit content' warning up.


Cover art © Catherine Wu.


Episode theme: Claude Debussy, 'Reverie'; Samuel Corwin, 'A Man Approaches with Bowed Sitar, Rishikesh'.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 54. Episode 54 - The Time Machine

    01:11:49
    Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. In our last episode, we went into the past. Now, in our fifty-fourth episode, we go way, way into the future with H.G. Wells's The Time Machine (1895). We workshop Save Me From My Shelf: On Ice!, turn into feral, biting Morlocks, and wonder what the hell is going on with time travel romances, both generally and in the Year of Our Lord BOOBIES.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: 'Gnossienne No. 1', Erik Satie.
  • 53.5. SMFMS Bookends 3: Ivanhoe

    28:33
    The third episode of SMFMS Bookends, the satellite show for Save Me From My Shelf. Here we read emails, answer listener questions, talk about what we're currently reading, watching, and playing, resuscitate the Bad Sex Awards™, and provide further outtakes and analysis cut from the Ivanhoe episode.
  • 53. Episode 53 - Ivanhoe

    01:18:38
    Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. In our fifty-third episode, we cover the first proper Historical Novel™, Sir Walter Scott's extremely boring, Ren Faire-style medieval romp, Ivanhoe (1819). In this episode, Abby gets ghosted by her best friend and medieval scholar, Justine. Scott talks about nothing but clothing, pork, and boobs, and Daniel enjoys (?) all the invented names, the porn parody that would write itself, and all the tournaments which are really just medieval versions of Super Smash Bros.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: 'The Ballad of Robin Hood'.
  • 52.5. SMFMS Bookends 2: Rebecca

    32:27
    The second episode of SMFMS Bookends, the satellite show for Save Me From My Shelf. Here we read emails, answer listener questions, talk about what we're currently reading, watching, and playing, and provide further outtakes and analysis cut from the Rebecca episode.
  • 52. Episode 52 - Rebecca

    01:19:35
    Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. In our fifty-second episode, Valentine's Day Special, AND Ash Wednesday spectacular, we look at Daphne Du Maurier's Cornish Gothic romance-tragedy-thriller, which is also a courtroom drama, police procedural, ghost story, and psychosexual horror. Daniel sings Edith Piaf, Abby references Nick at Nite shows, and we have the return of a great breakfast spread (separate from all the pilchard chat).Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: Phil Harris Orchestra, 'The Vamp' (1932).
  • 51.5. SMFMS Bookends 1: The Scarlet Letter

    29:07
    Abby and Daniel launch their first episode of SMFMS Bookends, the satellite show for Save Me From My Shelf. Here we read emails, answer listener questions, talk about what we're currently reading, watching, and playing, and provide further outtakes and analysis cut from the Scarlet Letter episode.
  • 51. Episode 51 - The Scarlet Letter

    01:14:16
    Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. In our Season 5 opener and fifty-first episode, we return to Puritanical, repressed New England with Nathaniel Hawthorne's experimental, philosophical musing about adultery, guilt, religion, and haute couture, The Scarlet Letter (1850). Daniel debuts some strange accents and discusses his previous theatrical career. We also learn that sex is like pancakes: the first go is a write-off.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: Dvorak, 'String Quartet, No. 12, Op. 96' (1893).
  • End-Of-Year-Special 2023

    57:26
    In Save Me From My Shelf's end-of-year wrap up for 2023, Abby and Daniel read listener letters, respond to audience questions, correct any Season 4 mistakes, and have a general retrospective on the past year on the podcast. Abby also reveals her tradition of Dark Christmas, Daniel is an unprepared boring bastard, and wee Donalbain makes a guest appearance.
  • 50. Episode 50 - Paradise Lost

    01:24:43
    Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. In our fiftieth episode and (anti-)Christmas special, we go into John Milton's Puritanical vision of the Fall of Man, Paradise Lost (1667) ... where Milton may just be of Satan's party. It's a world where God is both a mall security guard and the leader of a sex cult, and neither role explains his mysterious ways. Daniel discovers the word, 'Ayyyoooo!', Abby reminisces about '90s pop culture, and both of them hate Milton's Alt Jesus.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: Purcell, 'March' in Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary (1695).