Review by dawntin - The Grass Is Singing

dawntin 's review for:

The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing

4.5

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a dark but realistic story about a failing marriage, racism, and class struggles. I thought the descriptions were sometimes too long, but they really shone in the moments that were important. The characters were interesting. As much as I disliked Mary Turner—she was a pathetic and whiny main character—I found it a bit heartbreaking that she never got over herself. She was a white woman who expected things from society that she could not obtain. Coupled with her hatred of black people, I think it was her mental health issues that led to her downfall.

She was married to Dick seemingly just so they could say they were married: she didn’t like him and bashed on him all the time. Additionally, she hated the household’s native servants. This was not only because they were black, but also since they routinely outperformed her. She couldn’t think about that happening because of her more privileged status, and yet it did. The black man Moses had even ironically been kind to her for a period of time before, well, she was killed. Mary never improved herself, but I guess that’s the whole point of the story.

The author did a great job at connecting various issues of colonization through the characters and their relationships with one another.

Content Warnings