This year's Nobel prize for literature has been awarded to Doris Lessing, at 87 one of the oldest recipients.
She has chronicled "...the female experience..." and "...with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny" according to the Swedish Academy. Unlike previous winners, Ms. Lessing has produced a volume of work and has been widely read.
Her life has leaned sharply to the left, which is almost a requisite for the Academy these days. Once a member of the Communist Party, Ms. Lessing has campaigned against nuclear weapons and became an icon in the feminist movement. Her criticism of apartheid got her banned in Rhodesia and South Africa, a notable achievement that indicates how deeply her prose cut. Not to be pigeon-holed, the author has also written science fiction and is currently intrigued with Sufism.
Those who have read and enjoyed Doris Lessing's works will applaud, and a new generation may discover a talented writer.
2 comments:
I have not read any of her works and I am not sure I've known of her. Hey, I'm for Kaleefurneea! I hope no one expects kultor. I might apply myself to reading one of her books, although I must admit I do have a resistance to all this Euro Baroque Marxism.
I saw her on the BBC tonight. Feisty, but with the right attitude towards the whole thing. I assume she'll give the two million to some worthy cause. Care to guess? :)
I read her latest -- uproariously funny bit of nonsense. All beings were female, until deformed babies were born and Lordy, Lordy but they were males and then the world went mad. There are times when the label on Dr. Bronner's soaps make more sense.
Perhaps she'll be a true old lady and donate all her money to some animal welfare organization. Save the Whales, Adopt-A-Kitty, PETA? No Nukes?
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