I can’t say the Doris Lessing’s post-apocalyptic
novel The Memoir of a Survivor is a
particularly successful novel, or even a talented piece of genre writing. The prose is a bit strained, and Lessing
never feels comfortable in this zone, but she gets points for trying (and she
did write, under a pen name, a science fiction series as well).
This is one of those post-apocalyptic novels which focuses
on children and their reaction to the calamity. This is a common ploy; a way to expose the
most exposed in our society to the absolute worst in us. In this sense, the girl-woman Emily works
quite well. Lessing is on sure footing
here, writing about female sexual and intellectual maturation.
But the scenes with the hallucinogenic wall, and the
fairy tale ending, fall flat, or collapse.
There is no punch for the reader.
We slide into a narcotic ending that lulls us into unwanted good
feelings.
Overall, the novel is worth reading with low
expectations. But rest assured even outside of her
accustomed paths, Lessing can tell a good story.
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