The Rainbow is a 1915 novel by the British author D. H. Lawrence. It follows the stories of three generations of the Brangwen family, particularly focusing on the sexual dynamics of, and relations between, the characters.
Lawrence's frank treatment of sexual desire and the power it plays within relationships as a natural and even spiritual force of life, though perhaps tamed by modern standards, caused The Rainbow to be prosecuted in an obscenity trial in late 1915, as a result of which all copies were seized and burnt. After this ban it was unavailable in Britain for 11 years, although editions were available in the USA.
In 1989, the novel was adapted into the UK film The Rainbow, directed by Ken Russell who also directed the 1969 adaptation of the sequel Women in Love.