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The Golden Notebook
The Golden Notebook: A Novel | Doris Lessing
193 posts | 78 read | 2 reading | 120 to read
Anna is a writer, author of one very successful novel, who now keeps four notebooks. In one, with a black cover, she reviews the African experience of her earlier years. In a red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism. In a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine relives part of her own experience. And in a blue one she keeps a personal diary. Finally, in love with an American writer and threatened with insanity, Anna resolves to bring the threads of all four books together in a golden notebook. Doris Lessing's best-known and most influential novel, The Golden Notebook retains its extraordinary power and relevance decades after its initial publication.
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Jeg
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Normally large books with small print put me off but I was determined to give this a go. Published in 1962 I can see why it would have been widely read then. The more I read her and find out about her the more I admire her. It felt like this was auto fiction. It was like reading several books in one. I read the preface last. She had written that in 1971 and though long was very insightful. A woman before her time. 👏👏

Suet624 I read this so long ago I have completely forgotten what it‘s about. But I remember really liking it. 3mo
13 likes1 stack add1 comment
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rubyslippersreads
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I have a feeling many Littens will identify with this cartoon. 😆 #notebooks #stationeryaddict

Seabreeze_Reader 🙋‍♀️Especially tempting around back to school time, although I reigned myself in the last few years. 📒 3mo
ShananigansReads 100% bought a notebook yestderday that I will likely never use. At least it was only $1.00.
3mo
dabbe 🎯! 3mo
61 likes3 comments
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Ruthiella
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Definitely a challenging book. I ultimately found it rewarding but also hard work. In any case, I like this quote about reading from it.

#WondrousWednesday

vivastory Love this 💙 6mo
Daisey I like this quote, but at the same time I never would have finished the tagged book or many others I ended up appreciating more if I would have followed this advice. I do think often timing matters, but I also think some books are worth the push to get through them. 6mo
Ruthiella @Daisey I totally agree with you! This book is a good example of one I had to push myself to read! 😂 Doris Lessing was given to broad pronouncements. But I do like it as a reminder. 6mo
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sarahbarnes This is such a great quote and such good, true advice. 🩵 6mo
Eggs Great thoughts!! 6mo
bthegood great advice - 🙂 6mo
Jeg I‘ve just this minute finished the book. Her preface was great. I read it last. This quote stood out for me. 3mo
53 likes7 comments
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Rissreads
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I did a bad, bad thing! 🤣 Wants, not needs. But I don‘t care! Retail therapy at its best! ♥️

Jari-chan Nothing bad about buying books. You could spend your time and money worse 😉 8mo
LeeRHarry Looks like good choices were made! 😊 8mo
batsy Nice! I think the Lessing is well worth reading (and one to own 🙌🏾) 8mo
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Jeg Love Doris Lessing. Met her once at a book festival in Scotland. The book she was promoting hadn‘t arrived so I got a little book about cats which she signed. A treasure . 8mo
Rissreads @Jeg I am interested in her cat books as I am a cat lover and have 2 of my own. You were very lucky to have met her. She sounds like a fascinating lady! 8mo
Reggie Annie Bot!!!!🖤🖤🖤 8mo
Rissreads @Reggie Just another book you got me to buy! 🖤 8mo
32 likes7 comments
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mcctrish
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@TheBookHippie it was a double Litsy mail day for me 🥰🥰 I laughed right out loud when I opened this gem ❤️❤️❤️ you are a stellar book chooser and an amazing facilitator of Sunday Buddy Read, my Sundays are wonderful no matter the book thx to all your planning, prompting and when necessary, book throwing. This was an unexpected and thoughtful touch. I‘m so so glad I found #sundaybuddyread 🥰🥰

TheBookHippie Awe. Thanks & Yay!!!! It made it!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 8mo
dabbe This is better than the Pulitzer or Nobel Prize. 💙🩵💙 8mo
mcctrish @dabbe absolutely and not for the author 🤣🤣🤣 8mo
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LeahBergen 😆😆 8mo
Karisa Love it! 😂😂😂 8mo
mcctrish @LeahBergen this book sucked 🤣🤣 8mo
mcctrish @Karisa 🤣🤣 8mo
42 likes7 comments
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vlwelser
This post contains spoilers
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This is so epic and I love it.

#SundayBuddyRead @TheBookHippie

TheBookHippie 🤭♥️🏆😘 8mo
Karisa 😂😂😂 Well deserved! 👏👏👏 Brilliant, @TheBookHippie 8mo
14 likes2 comments
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mollyrotondo
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Thank you @TheBookHippie for my certificate of completion 😂 it was a challenge for sure! I am also so honored to receive this very appropriate bookmark!! ❤️ I hope our next few books are way better than this but I do look forward to enduring another challenging read together!!

TheBookHippie ♥️🤣♥️ 8mo
slategreyskies This is so cool! Love it! ❤️ 8mo
AmyG Hahahaha! 8mo
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TheBookHippie @AmyG yours should arrive soon 🤣 8mo
AmyG Thank you. This just cracks me up. My biggest accomplishment in years! 8mo
Sargar114 Lol that‘s amazing!!! Well done @TheBookHippie 😂😂😂 8mo
TheBookHippie @AmyG 🤭🤭🤭 8mo
40 likes8 comments
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mcctrish
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Panpan

Thank god that‘s over

Susanita Okay that made me laugh 🤣🤣 9mo
kspenmoll I had to bail for many reasons, sounds like I did not miss too much! 9mo
mcctrish @kspenmoll I wish I‘d had reasons, between this and The Brothers Karamazov I feel like all my reading is full of despair 9mo
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mcctrish @Susanita this last chunk was the easiest but full circle is still awful 9mo
quietlycuriouskate Yep, that's about the measure of it! 9mo
dabbe Somehow I think the same will be said about #thebros. I'm definitely staying away from this one! 🤩😂🤗 9mo
44 likes7 comments
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vlwelser
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Panpan
TheBookHippie 😑🤷🏻‍♀️🤐🤫 9mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 9mo
37 likes2 comments
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IndoorDame
The Golden Notebook | Doris May Lessing
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CBee Yes! Love this word 😊 9mo
37 likes1 comment
review
quietlycuriouskate
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Panpan

Thank God that's over! It pains me to pan a book but I did not enjoy this one little bit.

Anna is going round the bend with writer's block and keeps multiple concurrent notebooks whilst sleeping with a succession of increasingly dreadful men and agonising over whether to leave the communist party or not. Maybe it's an insightful document of its time but I was in WTF?! mode for most of it.

#sundaybuddyread @TheBookHippie

Balibee146 Read it at uni..... 🤮🤮🤮 9mo
quietlycuriouskate And then, the Golden Notebook itself, that was supposed to somehow pull everything together? She gave it to that monstrous man-child to write a successful novella in! (Consider the camel's back definitively broken.) 9mo
quietlycuriouskate @Balibee146 You have my sympathies! At least I wasn't required to write essays about it. 9mo
AmyG YOU DID IT! 👊🏻 9mo
BarbaraBB Love your review though. And I‘ll donate my unread copy to a free library 😀 9mo
35 likes5 comments
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IndoorDame
The Golden Notebook | Doris May Lessing
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Phew, done! I‘m guessing no one will find it spoilery if I say I found the ending unsatisfying 😂. I have no idea how to rate this — there were enough nuggets along the way to keep me reading, but the further I got the more infuriating I found it. There were so many places I wanted the author to take this that she stubbornly refused to go & the questions I found most interesting stay unanswered. 😅😵‍💫🤬😬🤷🏻‍♀️ See you Sunday! #sundaybuddyread

AmyG I am so happy I read this as I truly believe that I have officially perfected the art of skimming. The end? Whatever. 9mo
IndoorDame @AmyG such a good skill! Wish I‘d known how to do that back in school when I needed it the most desperately 🤣 9mo
vlwelser 😂❤ 9mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 9mo
51 likes4 comments
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vlwelser
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Made it. Took a weird selfie to celebrate.

#SundayBuddyRead

TheBookHippie 😅😮‍💨💛📔 9mo
TheBookHippie I got the FLORIDA POSTCARD!!!!! 🧡 9mo
vlwelser @TheBookHippie perfect. Much faster than Spain. 😂 😘 9mo
38 likes3 comments
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vlwelser
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I cannot even with this book. It's never going to end....

AmyG 😩That‘s tomorrows reading for me. 9mo
mcctrish I like to put it off for as long as possible 9mo
41 likes2 comments