The Memoirs of a Survivor

What struck me most in the marvelous Lessing short book, Memoirs of a Survivor, is how matter-of-factly we accept horrific changes as long as they happen bit by bit. The absence of emotionality in the story, noted by others, is, I believe, intentional. As conditions worsen, the main character (and her ward) find ways to adapt, but never consider what actions they might take to reverse the societal decline. This is a story about our inherent passivity, our overweaning trust that someone else will surely take care of things when they go bad. It is also a testament to our ability to adapt to changing circumstances, but in general I feel it is a condemnation of our blindness to perceive and then resist those changes that dismantle and ultimately destroy vibrant societies.

The writing is good but this is just a short novella. As I post this review, I have read six of Lessing's novels from different time periods in her career all the way from her first novel in the 1950s to a recent 2003 novel. This present novel is from the middle of her career, written in 1974. As with all of her works, it contains some of the feminine perspectives, dialogues, analysis, and commentary that we associate with Lessing. The present novel is short and the social commentary is toned down drastically from other novels. It is about a person who cares for a young girl who is approximately age 12 to 15, along with the girl's dog. They live through a period of social breakdown. Doris Lessing (1919 - ) is the 2007 Nobel Prize winner in literature. She has a score of novels and many other works. Her complex novel The Golden Notebook (1957), her first novel The Grass is Singing (1950), and The Summer Before The Dark (1973) are considered to be her representative works. I read those three plus a few more. I have set up a Listmania list on her books. The present novel is good. It is not complicated in the fashion of The Golden Notebook. It is closer to being a short story. It has a good set of characters and an interesting plot. Without giving away the plot, Lessing describes the personality of the female protagonist living in an urban area that has been subject to a complete social breakdown. She is the narrator in the story. Lessing never tells us the cause of the problem, but the government is essentially gone, there is no electricity or water, and gangs roam the streets. People keep animals to eat and grow their own crops. The story is about the young girl, Emily, who has been left with the older woman. Emily matures and takes up with a local leader. Some might not like the book because it lacks emotion. I liked the book and would recommend it. It is a short quick read that takes an evenings to read. It does not contain the feminine arguments found in some of her longer works, but the present work is far easier read than The Golden Notebok (far, far easier) and it is a well written novel. If I had to pick one book that is easy to read and contains her arguments, I would recommend The Grass is Singing. It is a more innovative work and also easy to read.

I like the writing so Lessing deserves 5 stars but this is a short novella, not a novel. As I post this review, I have read six of Lessing's novels from different time periods in her career all the way from her first novel in the 1950s to a recent 2003 novel. This present novel is from the middle of her career, written in 1974. As with all of her works, it contains some of the feminine perspectives, dialogues, analysis, and commentary that we associate with Lessing. The present novel is short and the social commentary is toned down drastically from other novels. It is about a person who cares for a young girl who is approximately age 12 to 15 in the story and her dog. They live through a period of social breakdown. Doris Lessing (1919 - ) is the 2007 Nobel Prize winner in literature. She has a score of novels and many other works. Her complex novel The Golden Notebook (1957), her first novel The Grass is Singing (1950), and The Summer Before The Dark (1973) are considered to be her representative works. I read those three plus a few more. I have set up a Listmania list on her books. The present novel is good. It is not complicated in the fashion of The Golden Notebook. It is closer to being a short story. It has a good set of characters and an interesting plot. Without giving away the plot, Lessing describes the personality of the female protagonist living in an urban area that has been subject to a complete social breakdown. Lessing never tells us the cause, but the government is essentially gone, there is no electricity or water, and gangs roam the streets. People keep animals to eat and grow their own crops. The storing is about the young girl, Emily, who matures and takes up with a local leader. I liked the book and would recommend it. It is a short quick read that takes an evenings to read. It does not contain the feminine arguments found in some of her longer works, but the present work is far easier read than The Golden Notebok (far, far easier) and it is a well written novel. If I had to pick one book that is easy to read and contains her arguments, this is not a bad choice, but The Grass is Singing is a more innovative work and also easy to read.

There are several levels to this book, and many obscure threads which are woven together to make a very satisfying, yet provocative and obtuse novel of survival in times of chaos as society falls apart. Some of the mysteries which are present in the story ( who really is Emily, who and/or what is the dog, what is the alternate reality behind the wall, and what are all the charactors doing at the end when the iron egg crumbles) are woven into other novels by Lessing, such as the "Four Gated City." "Memoirs of a Survivor" is reported to be partly autobiographical.A movie was made in England of "Memoirs" staring Julie Christi around 1985 which was shown briefly in Venice, California. I have not seen it referred to anywhere since.

These "Memoirs" postulate a near future when society's framework and infrastructure are breaking down. Young people are forming gangs and moving out of the city, the trappings of civilization are no longer relevant, cannibalism is rumored. Priorities are back to food, shelter, and clothing. Personal safety and a bath cannot be taken for granted. The narrator is an older woman who lives on the ground floor of a large apartment building. A 12-year-old girl, Emily, is brought to her and she is told the girl is her responsibility. The woman does her best to protect Emily, who is growing up quickly, but the girl has a better grip on reality than her protector. Watching the action on the street from the windows, they see first the nomadic groups of young people moving through their area, then gangs forming from their own neighborhood and moving out. Emily falls in love with a young gang chieftain and joins his group, where she finds her responsibilities almost more than she can bear. Her abilities in the new order are great, but she often retreats to the older woman's apartment. As more people move out, life in the city changes. Gangs occupy and protect their territories, raise gardens and animals for food. And then a new kind of gang emerges - younger children who have no idea of organization, loyalty, or even much language. These feral children are vicious and cunning. The quandary is that they are "only children." Emily's chieftain tries to help them and comes to grief. There are many puzzling threads to the story which are never explained. Does the wall really open into another reality? Is the dog really a dog, or something more? I enjoyed that quality of ambiguity as an added dimension to the story. I recommend it highly.