The Memoirs of a Survivor

By Doris Lessing,

Book cover of The Memoirs of a Survivor

Book description

In a beleaguered city where rats and roving gangs terrorize the streets, where government has broken down and meaningless violence holds sway, a woman -- middle-aged and middle-class -- is brought a twelve-year-old girl and told that it is her responsibility to raise the child. This book, which the author…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Memoirs of a Survivor as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Doris Lessing is one of the genuinely great authors of the 20th century. A true visionary, she moved effortlessly between naturalistic writing and her own unique variety of science fiction/fantasy—the latter written with such conviction that it seems completely real (while her naturalistic writing is so vivid is to seem almost more than real). In this book, a middle-aged woman looks out of her window at a civilization that is rapidly falling apart. As the woman retreats into her own inner world, a strange girl comes to live with her, bringing an animal called Hugo that is somewhere in between…

From Chris' list on hard-to-categorize novels.

If you love The Memoirs of a Survivor...

Ad

Book cover of A Diary in the Age of Water

A Diary in the Age of Water By Nina Munteanu,

This climate fiction novel follows four generations of women and their battles against a global giant that controls and manipulates Earth’s water. Told mostly through a diary and drawing on scientific observation and personal reflection, Lynna’s story unfolds incrementally, like climate change itself. Her gritty memoir describes a near-future Toronto…

Want books like The Memoirs of a Survivor?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Memoirs of a Survivor.

Browse books like The Memoirs of a Survivor

Book cover of The Crystal World
Book cover of The Unconsoled
Book cover of Perelandra

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,609

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Memoirs of a Survivor, you might also like...

Book cover of The Olympus Project

The Olympus Project By Zoë Routh,

The future is uncertain, and the stakes are high. Climate change has wreaked havoc on the planet, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. The only hope lies in the Olympus Project, a plan to colonise the moon and build on the Artemis Base.

Led by three of the…

Book cover of Aftermath: Into the Unknown

Aftermath By Lena Gibson,

Robin dreamed of attending Yale and using her brain. Kory lived on the streets of Seattle and relied on his brawn. Without the asteroid, they never would have met.

For three years, Robin and her grandfather have been hiding, trusting no one. When a biker gang moves into town, Robin…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Western culture, rats, and the supernatural?

Western Culture 57 books
Rats 20 books
The Supernatural 374 books