To Room Nineteen (v. 1) (Collected stories of Doris Lessing) - Softcover

Lessing, Doris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0586045953 ISBN 13: 9780586045954

Publisher: Triad Books, 1979

Synopsis

A volume of stories from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Set mainly in England, they explore the ideological, political and sexual dilemmas of modern society.

About this title

Review:

‘The stories in “To Room Nineteen” are part of the intellectual apparatus of anybody alive in England in the Fifties. I can’t begin to evaluate some of them objectively; “The Habit of Loving” and the dazzlingly cynical “One Off The Shortlist” shaped the way I, for one, perceived the world.’ Angela Carter, Guardian

‘A major collection – rich, perceptive and cruelly honest. For Doris Lessing, private lives, private sins and private blisses are aspects of history, so that even in short stories, she is a chronicler of her time and its conscience too.’ Lorna Sage, Observer

‘On sex, Doris Lessing has few equals in understanding not only desire, but the rest – boredom, disappointment, erotic fury. On every subject there is a selfless, composed quality about her writing, a special combination of indignation and compassion.’ Diane Johnson, New York Times

From the Back Cover:

INCLUDES A PREVIOUSLY UNCOLLECTED STORY AND A NEW PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR

For more than four decades, Doris Lessing's work has wittily and wryly observed the muddle and passion of human relations, unflinchingly dissected its truths and shown us the unique quality of her understanding.

From the magnificent 'To Room Nineteen', a study of a dry, controlled middle class marriage 'grounded in intelligence', to the shocking and sharp 'A Woman on a Roof', where a workman becomes obsessed with a pretty sunbather, this superb collection of stories from the 1950s through to the 1990s bears witness to Doris Lessing's extraordinary perspective on the human condition.

"The stories in 'To Room Nineteen' are part of the intellectual apparatus of anybody alive in England in the Fifties. I can't begin to evaluate some of them objectively; 'The Habit of Loving' and the dazzlingly cynical 'One Off the Shortlist' shaped the way I, for one, perceived the world"
ANGELA CARTER, 'Guardian'

"A major collection – rich, perceptive and cruelly honest. For Doris Lessing private lives, private sins and private blisses are aspects of history, so that even in short stories, she is a chronicler of her time and its conscience too"
LORNA SAGE, 'Observer'

"On sex, Doris Lessing has few equals in understanding not only desire, but the rest – boredom, disappointment, erotic fury. On every subject there is a selfless, composed quality about her writing, a special combination of indignation and compassion"
DIANE JOHNSON, 'New York Times'

About this edition

• Publisher: Triad Books
• Publication date: 1979
• ISBN 10: 0586045953
• ISBN 13: 9780586045954
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384