I have only read one Doris Lessing book, and I found it on the shelf of the local library. Like Frankenstein or Dracula, The Fifth Child was twisted in a way that drew you in. There was a certain growing fear that was mitigated by the fact that whatever horror was described, it was faced unflinchingly in its own raw truth. Whether it was meant as an exploration of one child too many, or the realization that your are raising a psychopath, I remember the "beast" of a boy to this day.
Possibly on the other end of the spectrum of her work, I have Love, Again on my shelf to read chosen solely by the title, premise of a 65 year old woman in love, and the author's familiarity to write a good story. I didn't know anything about this author's life, but was drawn to her fierce character. What I did not know was that she grew up in Iran, and then in the country now known as Zimbabwe, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for her body of literature. She was recently the subject of a CBC podcast. Take a listen.
On reviewing her work, I found a Massey Lecture of 5 essays that she wrote called Prisons We Choose to Live Inside. It's funny how a title can resonate, and ignite the immediate desire to know more.
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