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The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing

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The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing

In contemporary London, a loose-knit group of political vagabonds drifts from one cause to the next, picketing and strategizing for hypothetical situations. But within this world, one particular small commune is moving inexorably toward active terrorism. At its center is Alice Mellings, a brilliant organizer who knows how to cope with almost anything, except the vacuum of her own life. Always reliable, she makes herself indispensable to the commune, earning a precious sense of belonging by denying her own sense of self. But now, suddenly, the stakes are rising. Some in the group appear to have ties to insurgents in Northern Ireland and even to Soviets who are recruiting. A small bomb set off on a deserted street leads to ideas that are dangerously ambitious, and there is a professional who is eager to meet with Alice and discuss her future with his organization.

‘In “The Good Terrorist” we are in the world of the subsidized sub-culture of the Marxist groupuscules of contemporary Britain…Lessing has a wit, an indignation and a narrative agility which leave few left-wing sacred cows unscathed…hugely enjoyable’ Sunday Times

‘Doris Lessing writes about the parts other novelists cannot reach. This is a totally absorbing, subtly observed, complicated and stimulating novel.’ Observer

‘“The Good Terrorist” is a work of acute intelligence, incisive and compelling…it shows Doris Lessing at her mature best.’ Listener

Praise for Doris Lessing:

‘Doris Lessing has changed the way we think about the world.’ Blake Morrison

‘Thank goodness for Doris Lessing. While the rest of us flounder about noisily in the muddy waters of life, she never fails to expose with startling clarity the essential folly of our dreams and good intentions.’ Kate Chisholm, Evening Standard

‘She’s up there in the pantheon with Balzac and George Eliot. We’re lucky she’s still writing.’ Lisa Appignanesi, Independent

Doris Lessing is one of the most important writers of the twentieth century and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 2007. Her first novel, 'The Grass is Singing', was published in 1950. Among her other celebrated novels are 'The Golden Notebook', 'The Fifth Child' and 'Memoirs of a Survivor'. She has also published two volumes of her autobiography, 'Under my Skin' and 'Walking in the Shade'. Her most recent novel is 'The Cleft'.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780007247219
ISBN 10 0007247214
Title The Good Terrorist
Author Doris Lessing
Series Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Year published 2007-06-18
Number of pages 400
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.