Doris Lessing: THE FIFTH CHILD

The Fith Child is the third book by Doris Lessing that I've read. Quite interesting is that, last year, I read the sequel (Ben, In The World) to this novel first. And I liked it very much. Ironically, its effect on me was to feel sorry to people who treat other people (who look diferent) wrongly and, sometimes, with scord. Anyone who's in an endless search for his place in the world can identify with Ben. The sequel can stand alone as a novel. However, after reading The Fifth Child, I wished I had read it first before the sequel. It could have been a more rewarding reading experience. Anyway, the sequel (Ben, In The World), even without reading The Fifth Child, is still a great piece of literature.

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In The Fifth Child, Doris Lessing takes on the horror of parenthood. There is no fancy style in the way she writes the book, which makes the nightmarish experience reading the book more chilling and intense.

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Rating: 4.0/5.0

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{15 April 2010}