Synopses & Reviews
The only collection of literary essays and criticism
by one of the most distinguished writers of our time
Toward the end of his long life, Goethe said that he had only just learned how to read. In this collection of the very best of Doris Lessing's essays -- never before published in book form -- we are treated to the wisdom and keen insight of a writer who has herself learned, over the course of a brilliant career spanning more than half a century, to read the world differently. From imagining the secret sex life of Tolstoy to the secrets of Sufism, from reviews of classic books to commentaries on world politics, these essays span an impressive range of subjects, cultures, periods, and themes, yet they are remarkably consistent in one key regard: Lessing's clear-eyed vision and clearly expressed prose. This is a book about books and writers -- Stendhal and Muriel Spark, Pride and Prejudice, de Beauvoir and Ecclesiastes, Virginia Woolf -- but in its breadth and precision, Time Bites is also a map of the human spirit, of our hopes, fears, and basic needs; and on a more personal level, a map of the wonderful, searching mind of one of our greatest living writers.
Review
“In these pieces, we hear the tough, uncompromising... courageous voice that has made Lessing an icon for freedom of thought.” Elaine Showalter, Times Literary Supplement (London)
Review
“Refreshing and invigorating... An invaluable collection..” Los Angeles Times Book Review
Review
“A clarion call . . . Declaimed in Lessings brisk, wry voice and articulated with pragmatic intelligence.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Lessing has a first-rate critical mind. Her social and political observations are acute.” Miami Herald
Review
“Full of that sympathy for the human condition that informs her fiction... Each of these pieces is worth reading.” The Times (London)
Review
“Theres much to enjoy in this collection of essays.” New York Times Book Review
Review
“Remarkably cohesive . . . one comes away with a real sense of who Lessing is. . . . [A] humane and truly internationalist book.” Peter Parker, Sunday Times (London)
Review
“Eloquent, worthy essays.” Seattle Times
Synopsis
"A generous and pleasurable collection. . . . Vibrant and illuminating, with quotable lines on every page. . . . Lessing is] a superb essayist: lucid, wise, knowledgeable, and witty."-- Booklist
In this collection of the very best of Doris Lessing's essays we are treated to the wisdom and keen insight of a writer who has learned, over the course of a brilliant career, to read the world differently. From imagining the secret sex life of Tolstoy to the secrets of Sufism, from reviews of classic books to commentaries on world politics, these essays span an impressive range of subjects, cultures, periods, and themes, yet they are remarkably consistent in one key regard: Lessing's clear-eyed vision and clearly-expressed prose. But in its breadth and precision Time Bites is more: it is also a map of the human spirit and an intimate diagram of the mind of one of our greatest living writers.
About the Author
Doris Lessing is one of the most celebrated and distinguished writers of our time. Her most recent books include The Sweetest Dream, The Grandmothers, and the two volumes of her autobiography, Under My Skinand Walking in the Shade. She has recently been awarded the David Cohen Memorial Prize for British Literature, Spain's Prince of Asturias Prize, and the S. T. Dupont Golden PEN Award for a Lifetime's Distinguished Service to Literature, as well as a whole host of other prestigious international awards. She lives in north London.