Doris Lessing

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Oregon

Four Short Novels

In the title novel, two friends fall in love with each other's teenage sons, and these passions last for years, until the women end them, vowing a respectable old age. In Victoria and the Staveneys, a young woman gives birth to a child of mixed race and struggles with feelings of estrangement as her daughter gets drawn into a world of white privilege. The Reason for It traces the birth, faltering, and decline of an ancient culture, with enlightening modern resonances. A Love Child features a World War II soldier who believes he has fathered a love child during a fleeting wartime romance and cannot be convinced otherwise.

The Grandmothers

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Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)

New York

Perennial Classics Edition

Anna is a writer, author of one very successful novel, who now keeps four notebooks. In one, with a black cover, she reviews the African experience of her earlier year. In a red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism. In a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine reviles part of her own experience. And in the blue one she keeps a personal diary. Finally, in love with an American writer and threatened with insanity, Anna tries to bring the threads of all four books together in a golden notebook.

The Golden Notebook

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Paperback former library copy of The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing

Oklahoma

Doris Lessing invites us to imagine a mythical society free from sexual intrigue, free from jealousy, free from petty rivalries: a society free from men. An old Roman senator, contemplative at his late stage of life, embarks on what will likely be his last endeavour: the retelling of the story of human creation. He recounts the history of the Clefts, an ancient community of women living in an Edenic, coastal wilderness, confined within the valley of an overshadowing mountain. The Clefts have no need nor knowledge of men -- childbirth is controlled, like the tides that lap around their feet, through the cycles of the moon, and their children are always female. But with the unheralded birth of a strange, new child -- a boy -- the harmony of their community is suddenly thrown into jeopardy. At first, in their ignorance, the Clefts are awestruck by this seemingly malformed child, but as more and more of these threateningly unfamiliar males appear, now unfavourably nicknamed Squirts, they are rejected, and are exposed on the nearby mountainside; sacrificed to the patrolling eagles overhead, the sentinels of their female haven. Unbeknownst to the Clefts, however, these baby males survive, aided by the very eagles sent to kill them, and thrive on their own on the other side of the mountain. It is not until an unusually curious young Cleft named Maire goes beyond the geographical, and emotional, divide of the mountain that this disquieting fact is uncovered -- a discovery that forces the Clefts to accept and realign themselves to the prospect of a now shared world, and the possible vengeance of the wronged males. In this fascinating and beguiling novel, Lessing confronts head-on the themes that inspired much of her early writing: how men and women, two similar and yet thoroughly distinct creatures, manage to live side by side in the world, and how the specifics of gender affect every aspect of our existence.

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

California

A Novel

In an ancient society solely populated by women whose childbirth cycles are controlled by the moon, community harmony is thrown into jeopardy by the unheralded birth of a boy, whose existence brings into awareness the role of gender in virtually every aspect of daily life.

The Cleft

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Used but in good condition. No marks or highlighting. Minor shelf wear.

Michigan

Ben, now grown and in the care of good-hearted prostitute Rita and her boyfriend, unknowingly helps them transport drugs to Paris.

The Fifth Child

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Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Texas

In the unfettered atmosphere of the late 1960s, a couple builds a life based on their belief in the superior value of tradition and normalcy. A large house, a large family, all the expected pleasantries convince them they can remain untouched by dark events--until the birth of their fifth child, a gruesome, insatiably hungry, violent child.

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

North Carolina

"The Golden Notebook is Doris Lessing's most important work and has left its mark upon the ideas and feelings of a whole generation of women."  -- New York Times Book Review

Anna is a writer, author of one very successful novel, who now keeps four notebooks. In one, with a black cover, she reviews the African experience of her earlier years. In a red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism. In a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine relives part of her own experience. And in a blue one she keeps a personal diary. Finally, in love with an American writer and threatened with insanity, Anna resolves to bring the threads of all four books together in a golden notebook.



Lessing's best-known and most influential novel, The Golden Notebook retains its extraordinary power and relevance decades after its initial publication.

Louisiana

Pennsylvania

Consisting of the celebrated story collections "Particularly Cats" and "Rufus the Survivor," and the memoir "The Old Age of El Magnifico," this book brilliantly evokes the subtleties of feline existence. An entertaining read for both cat and Lessing connoisseurs.--"The Observer."

On Cats

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New Jersey

Ecclesiastes

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sticker and creasing on top edge of spine

In this profoundly moving book, Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing explores the lives of her parents, each irrevocably damaged by the Great War. In the fictional first half of Alfred and Emily, she imagines the happier lives her parents might have made for themselves had there been no war. This is followed by a piercing examination of their relationship as it actually was in the shadow of the devastating global conflict. "Here I still am," says Lessing, "trying to get out from under that monstrous legacy, trying to get free." Triumphantly, with Alfred and Emily, she has done just that.

Alfred and Emily

515d9800-7917-4e0b-87ea-f0246d9ffb78-0

The Sequel to the Fifth Child

At eighteen, Ben is in the world, but not of it. He is too large, too awkward, too inhumanly made. Now estranged from his family, he must find his own path in life. From London and the south of France to Brazil and the mountains of the Andes. Ben is tossed about in a tumultuous search for his people, a reason for his being. How the world receives him, and, he fares in it will horrify and captivate until the novel's dramatic finale.

Ben, in the World

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Massachusetts

My Autobiography to 1949

Under My Skin

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Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

Volume Two of My Autobiography--1949-1962

Doris Lessing joined the Communist Party in London, and here she explores the allure Communism held for artists, intellectuals, and social reformist idealists in the '50s. A fascinating meditation on the psychological, sociological and historical roots of a generation's behavior, Lessing offers insight into the ideological and political madness of the post-war era. Lessing also evokes the bohemian life she led in post-war London: her work in the theater, her romantic liaisons, her books, her single parenting and the tenor and texture of life in the '50s. Among those who appear in these pages are Clancy Sigal, Nelson Algren, Henry Kissinger, Kenneth Tynan and Bertrand Russell, to name a few. She muses at length about the relationships between men and women, offering provocative insights into the attitudes of American men toward sex, women and love. The last section of the memoir describes the writing of her most famous novel, The Golden Notebook. It offers a fascinating account of the creative process by which a literary masterpiece is conceived and executed.

Walking in the Shade

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D. H. Lawrence

Thank you for your interest. See photos for description.

(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

 

One of the most extraordinary literary works of the twentieth century, Lady Chatterley's Lover was banned in England and the United States after its initial publication in 1928. The unexpurgated edition did not appear in America until 1959, after one of the most spectacular legal battles in publishing history.

With her soft brown hair, lithe figure and big, wondering eyes, Constance Chatterley is possessed of a certain vitality. Yet she is deeply unhappy; married to an invalid, she is almost as inwardly paralyzed as her husband Clifford is paralyzed below the waist. It is not until she finds refuge in the arms of Mellors the game-keeper, a solitary man of a class apart, that she feels regenerated. Together they move from an outer world of chaos towards an inner world of fulfillment.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Lady Chatterley's Lover

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Illinois

The distinguished novelist reveals her life among the felines in portraits of the cats that she has known

Particularly Cats and Rufus

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Hello, and thank you for browsing The Raven's Cache! Caw! 🐦‍⬛ 
This book is pre-loved and in good condition ready to go to its next destination. We're glad to see that this treasure has caught your eye.
Below, you can find examples of how I rate the quality before they go to their new homes. It's important to know the quality of the book you're getting, so I've taken pictures of any aspect of the book that renders it pre-loved rather than new. 
All books are shipped quickly (next business day), and come from a smoke and pet free home.


- - - - - - - - - -
✅  How The Raven's Cache rates its books:
LIKE NEW: I will never rate a library book like new. These are books that look like they've never been read or owned.
EXCELLENT: The best condition for library books, and a great condition for books otherwise. Library books will have library markings (always pictured), but will have no further noted wear and tear. For non-library books, these are the books that have been read, but are not show no remarkable signs of wear, tear or defect.
GOOD: Show signs of use and mild to moderate wear. All pages are in tact and the book is completely readable. Library books have library markings, and some non-library books may have a dedication or stamp or sticker, some creases. Signs of formerly being loved.
FAIR: A book that shows visible signs of wear and tear. These books might have creases, folds, markings, or missing dust jackets (all pictured).  A 'fair' book will ALWAYS have its pages in tact, and the full book will be readable.
POOR: These books have seen better days. The pages might be loose, there are visible signs of wear and tear, the spine might be coming free from the book.

✨ Please note that my books are often given to me and may not reflect my own views. Please research books and look at photos prior to buying. ❤️ 
I am one disabled human looking to spread kindness and get by, please be kind. 10% of my profit goes toward nonprofits aiming to making books accessible to others.

❓ If you have any questions or want to make an offer or bundle books, please message me. Let's see what we can do. 🙂

Vermont

Hello, and thank you for browsing The Raven's Cache! Caw! 🐦‍⬛ 
This book is pre-loved and in excellent condition ready to go to its next destination. We're glad to see that this treasure has caught your eye.
Below, you can find examples of how I rate the quality before they go to their new homes. It's important to know the quality of the book you're getting, so I've taken pictures of any aspect of the book that renders it pre-loved rather than new. 
All books are shipped quickly (next business day), and come from a smoke and pet free home.


- - - - - - - - - -
✅  How The Raven's Cache rates its books:
LIKE NEW: I will never rate a library book like new. These are books that look like they've never been read or owned.
EXCELLENT: The best condition for library books, and a great condition for books otherwise. Library books will have library markings (always pictured), but will have no further noted wear and tear. For non-library books, these are the books that have been read, but are not show no remarkable signs of wear, tear or defect.
GOOD: Show signs of use and mild to moderate wear. All pages are in tact and the book is completely readable. Library books have library markings, and some non-library books may have a dedication or stamp or sticker, some creases. Signs of formerly being loved.
FAIR: A book that shows visible signs of wear and tear. These books might have creases, folds, markings, or missing dust jackets (all pictured).  A 'fair' book will ALWAYS have its pages in tact, and the full book will be readable.
POOR: These books have seen better days. The pages might be loose, there are visible signs of wear and tear, the spine might be coming free from the book.

✨ Please note that my books are often given to me and may not reflect my own views. Please research books and look at photos prior to buying. ❤️ 
I am one disabled human looking to spread kindness and get by, please be kind. 10% of my profit goes toward nonprofits aiming to making books accessible to others.

❓ If you have any questions or want to make an offer or bundle books, please message me. Let's see what we can do. 🙂

Margaret Drabble

Good to very good condition. Small rip on front cover. Small bend to inside dustjacket flap.

Florida

Introduction by Margaret Drabble

This wide-ranging collection of the stories by the renowned Nobel Laureate—spanning more than two decades of her astonishing career—highlights her singular gifts for portraying the complex lives of men and women in a modern, often alienating world. Included are seminal stories like “To Room Nineteen,” in which a woman reacts against the oppression of her banal marriage with dreadful results; “One off the Short List,” which traces the surprising conclusion to a seduction gone awry; “The Habit of Loving,” in which a lonely older man who takes a vivacious, young wife witnesses an unexpected reversal of intimacy. Here are two classic novellas as well: The Temptation of Jack Orkney and The Other Woman, which exemplify Lessing’s grasp of the most essential human psychology. Rich and various in mood and background—the settings range across England and France—these stories powerfully convey the uncompromising insight, intelligence, and vision of one of the most ardently admired writers of our time.

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Doris Lessing

The Grandmothers

Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing

The Cleft

Doris Lessing

The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing

The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing

The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing

On Cats

Doris Lessing

The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing

Ecclesiastes

Doris Lessing

Alfred and Emily

Doris Lessing

Ben, in the World

Doris Lessing

Under My Skin

Doris Lessing

Walking in the Shade

Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

D. H. Lawrence; Doris Lessing

Lady Chatterley's Lover

Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing

Particularly Cats and Rufus

Doris Lessing

The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing

Walking in the Shade

Doris Lessing

Under My Skin

Doris Lessing; Margaret Drabble

Stories