A review by kjboldon
Ben, in the World by Doris Lessing

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Like The Fifth Child, I read this in less than 24 hours. I found it compelling, and liked how this book reminded me of, and made me rethink some of my reactions to that book. Ben is a fascinating character and creation, a boy who is a genetic sport, a throwback, is more animal than humanoid. This book is a series of encounters that move back and forth in time, which Lessing handled deftly. Ben struggles to survive, and is cared for by a series of people, mostly women, whose sketched backstories are all too human and believable. He is used, again and again, by men who seek ways to make money off him. 

The pacing lagged a bit toward the end, and there were some characters that felt extraneous. Throughout, Lessing does an omniscient narrator, flashing forward and giving us future glimpses into various characters' lives. But we don't find out Ben's fate till the penultimate page. 

This is a really weird, dark book and I'm not sure who I'd recommend it to, but I was fascinated by it. 
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