Human Conditions: ‘The Golden Notebook’ by Doris Lessing

Pankaj Mishra joins Adam Shatz to discuss The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing’s formally brilliant and startlingly frank 1962 novel. In her portrait of ‘free women’ – unmarried, creatively ambitious, politically engaged – Lessing wrestles with the breakdown of Stalinism, settler colonialism and traditional gender roles. Pankaj and Adam explore the lived experiences that shaped the novel, its feminist reception and why Pankaj considers it to be one of the best representations of ‘the strange uncapturable sensation of living from day to day.’ Non-subscriber will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen in full, and to all our other Close Readings series, sign up: Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq In other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadings Further reading: Anita Brookner: Women Against Men https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v04/n16/anita-brookner/women-against-men Frank Kermode: The Daughter Who Hated Her https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v30/n14/frank-kermode/the-daughter-who-hated-her Jenny Diski: Why can‘t people just be sensible? https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v37/n15/jenny-diski/why-can-t-people-just-be-sensible Pankaj Mishra is a writer, critic and reporter who regularly contributes to the LRB. His books include Age of Anger: A History of the Present, From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia and two novels, most recently Run and Hide. Get in touch: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices