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A review by natashamuse
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
3.0
So good. So weird. The writing is amazing and drew me in. The main character, Harriet, is the mother of the eponymous. "fifth child," Ben, and we experience her growing confusion, worry, uncertainty, and sadness as she is forced to confront a reality she was wholly unprepared for. There are no breaks in the prose of any kind, chapter or otherwise, which lends to the claustrophobic and relentless feeling of the story and, ultimately, the main character's life.
Doris Lessing's writing is often sparse, giving just enough detail to set the scenes, but not so much that everything is explained outright.
**spoilerish**
Some people claim that Ben is developmentally disabled, but I feel like the inclusion of the character Amy is to highlight the difference between her, who has Downs Syndrome, and Ben. I wish there were more of a solid end, but at the same time I don't know how it could have ended any differently. The story is about the mother, so when he finally leaves her life, her arc, such as it is, has been completed.
Doris Lessing's writing is often sparse, giving just enough detail to set the scenes, but not so much that everything is explained outright.
**spoilerish**
Some people claim that Ben is developmentally disabled, but I feel like the inclusion of the character Amy is to highlight the difference between her, who has Downs Syndrome, and Ben. I wish there were more of a solid end, but at the same time I don't know how it could have ended any differently. The story is about the mother, so when he finally leaves her life, her arc, such as it is, has been completed.