The Golden Notebook in Constant Reader

Mar 05, 2008 Jim rated it it was ok

Shelves: literary

In spite of all the efforts to include issues like the development of the Communist Party in the UK and the liberation of Africa, this still feels like 636 pages of kvetching about men. The basic problem seems to be that married men keep going back to their wives and promiscuous, insensitive men are promiscuous and insensitive.

This book is interesting because it is the signature work of a Nobel Prize winner not because it provides a lot of pleasure. It starts with a successful investment banker ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2008 Jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-from-mom, england, psychology, classic, 1001

While cemented as a Very Important Book with Lessing's Nobel win, it's clearly of a time and place that I don't necessarily relate to. I'm somewhat surprised that Lessing claims in her introduction that the book was received as a novel about the sex war, because it doesn't read that way to me - while there are strong elements of tension between men and women, it seemed to have far more to do with the inherent problems of the characters involved than society at large. Perhaps it's just a sign of ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2008 Courtney Stirrat added it

Only about 50 pages in, but I am setting this aside for a week or two as I am not sure I have the mental acuity for it at the moment. It is stunningly beautiful and I am sure will be a life-changing read, but I am an absolute mess and either need something lighter or more relevant to my current situation. But I am dying to get back to it in the near future. Hopefully on a beach . . .

So I came back to The Golden Notebook last week and have been struggling a bit. Around page 150 and hoping to br ...more

Like · see review