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A review by samantha_duncan
Martha Quest by Doris Lessing
3.0
3.5/5 stars. I've never been a huge fan of coming of age stories, so I had some trepidation about starting this series. The first book, Martha Quest, is, as others have said, somewhat expository, but major events certainly do take place in the protagonist's life. Namely, leaving her parents' farm at sixteen to start out on her own in the city.
There's also Martha's seemingly ongoing sexual awakening throughout the book, which I particularly enjoyed; rather than one big, cinematic event signifying the definition of her sexual journey, Lessing takes a more muddled approach, through a series of often fragmented encounters with boys that often leave Martha confused. This, to me, came across more refreshing in its realism than the stereotypical treatment of women's sexuality in fiction as a more cut and dried, well-defined part of their identity.
Annoying as she may be, at times, Martha Quest is a hard character to dislike, 1: because most of us can recall our own adolescent stubbornness and relate to her actions, and 2: because despite her uncertainty, her missteps, and her naivete, she never ceases to think and question for herself. Perhaps that's why I finished the book wanting to read more - I can't pinpoint what drew me in about Martha's story, but I know that wherever it goes in the next four books, for once, I won't be following around a passive female character.
There's also Martha's seemingly ongoing sexual awakening throughout the book, which I particularly enjoyed; rather than one big, cinematic event signifying the definition of her sexual journey, Lessing takes a more muddled approach, through a series of often fragmented encounters with boys that often leave Martha confused. This, to me, came across more refreshing in its realism than the stereotypical treatment of women's sexuality in fiction as a more cut and dried, well-defined part of their identity.
Annoying as she may be, at times, Martha Quest is a hard character to dislike, 1: because most of us can recall our own adolescent stubbornness and relate to her actions, and 2: because despite her uncertainty, her missteps, and her naivete, she never ceases to think and question for herself. Perhaps that's why I finished the book wanting to read more - I can't pinpoint what drew me in about Martha's story, but I know that wherever it goes in the next four books, for once, I won't be following around a passive female character.