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68 pages 2 hours read

The Golden Notebook

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1962

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Book Brief

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Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1962
Book Details
Pages

640

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

London • 1950s

Publication Year

1962

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

The Golden Notebook follows Anna Wulf, a writer struggling with creative block following the success of her first novel, as she grapples with personal and societal upheavals in 1950s London. She keeps four color-coded notebooks, each dedicated to different aspects of her life, culminating in a unified "golden notebook" that helps her reconcile her fragmented identity and resume writing. The novel includes depictions of suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt.

Contemplative

Emotional

Challenging

Melancholic

Bittersweet

Reviews & Readership

3.9

24,450 ratings

64%

Loved it

22%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing receives high praise for its innovative structure and its deep exploration of women's issues, mental health, and political ideologies. Critics laud Lessing's complex narrative and character development. However, some find the novel's experimental form and length challenging. Overall, it's regarded as a thought-provoking classic.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Golden Notebook?

Readers who enjoy The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing are typically attracted to complex narratives that explore themes like feminism, mental health, and political ideologies. Fans of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway or Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar would appreciate Lessing’s in-depth character studies and fragmented storytelling.

3.9

24,450 ratings

64%

Loved it

22%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

640

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

London • 1950s

Publication Year

1962

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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