A review by readymcreadleton
The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing

5.0

I started reading this book without knowing much about it and was appreciating the strident feminist voice. It moved into the area of race relations and was similarly scathing about the social environment its characters are set in. Then I looked at the detail of the book and was amazed to see when it was written. The writing is so politically aware at a time when I dont think a lot of women authors were getting published, and certainly I dont know that many people were writing so ardently on subjects like this. It got me very interested in reading more of Lessing's work.
The book details the slow progression of a woman's nervous breakdown due to the heat and isolation of living alone in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. The way Lessing describes her deterioration is staggeringly astute. It was not a pleasant read, but the situation of the protagonist rocked me, and I expect she will stay with me for a long time to come.