"Odour of Chrysanthemums" is a short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 by D. H. Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence

David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...

. It was written in the autumn of 1909 and, after revision, was published in The English Review

The English Review

The English Review was an English-language literary magazine published in London from 1908 to 1937. At its peak, the journal published some of the leading writers of its day.-History:...

in July 1911. Lawrence later included this tale in his collection of short stories entitled The Prussian Officer and Other Stories

The Prussian Officer and Other Stories

The Prussian Officer and Other Stories is a collection of early short stories by D. H. Lawrence which Duckworth, his London publisher, brought out on 26 November 1914...

, which Duckworth

Gerald Duckworth

Gerald de l'Etang Duckworth was a British publisher.-Background and early life:Duckworth was a son of Herbert Duckworth, a London barrister, by his wife Julia Jackson. His middle name, de l'Etang, was the surname of one of his mother's ancestors, Antoine de l'Etang, a page to Queen Marie Antoinette...

, his London publisher, brought out on 26 November 1914. An American edition was produced by B W Huebsch in 1916. Lawrence later adapted the story into a play, The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd

The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd

The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd is a play by the English writer D.H. Lawrence. It was written in 1911 and the revised version was published in 1914.It is the dramatisation of Lawrence's short story Odour of Chrysanthemums.-Plot introduction:...

.

Plot introduction

The story tells of a Nottinghamshire coalminer's wife, a young mother, waiting for her abusive husband Walter to come home. She blames his drinking for his absence. It turns out he has been killed in a pit accident. Laying out his corpse, after it is brought home from the mine, makes her realize they never really knew each other. Upon the discovery that her husband has died, the protagonist, Elizabeth, is able to remain astonishingly calm and collected, especially in front of her children. In contrast, Walter's mother, who lives near the young couple and their children, becomes hysterical, highlighting her overbearing and somewhat irritating nature.

Film

See main article: Odour of Chrysanthemums (film)

Odour of Chrysanthemums (film)

Odour of Chrysanthemums is a 2002 short film directed by Mark Partridge and based on the short story by D. H. Lawrence.- Plot :The film tells of a Nottinghamshire coalminer's wife, a young mother, waiting for her abusive husband Walter to come home. She blames his drinking for his absence. It later...

In 2002 the story was adapted into a short film by Director

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

 Mark Patridge, The film went on to win 1st prize at the Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

 film festival.

Standard edition

• The Prussian Officer and Other Stories
  The Prussian Officer and Other Stories
  The Prussian Officer and Other Stories is a collection of early short stories by D. H. Lawrence which Duckworth, his London publisher, brought out on 26 November 1914...
  
  (1914), edited by John Worthen
  John Worthen
  John Worthen taught at universities in North America and Wales before becoming Professor of D. H. Lawrence Studies at the University of Nottingham, where he remains Emeritus Professor. His inaugural lecture as Professor of D H Lawrence Studies was published under the title Cold Hearts and Coronets...
  
  , Cambridge University Press, 1983, ISBN 0-521-24822-1

Weblinks

• Cushman, Keith (2010): Critical materials: 'Odour of Chrysanthemums'., within the portal: Odour of Chrysanthemums. A text in process. of the University of Nottingham.
• The University of Nottingham (2008): Portal to Odour of Chrysanthemums. A text in process., writing on the text by scholars of the University of Nottingham.