The Golden NotebookThe Golden Notebook
Score Classic
What it's about
Anna Wulf, a writer in 1950s London, is blocked after one successful novel. She keeps four notebooks for different parts of her life: one about her years in Africa, one about her time in the Communist Party, one a novel about herself, and a diary. Around them runs a conventional novel about Anna and her friend Molly, two 'free women'. Finally she tries to bring it all together in one golden notebook.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the TIME and Bokklubben lists of the greatest books, and Lessing won the Nobel Prize. It became a landmark of feminist fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
To the Lighthouse
Middlemarch
The YearsGood to know
It's long and fragmented, with a lot of political discussion. There are frank sexual passages.
By the numbers
- Readers7 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller17 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of Time
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
Cosmos
The Right Stuff
Sophie's ChoiceExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Golden Notebook worth reading?
Yes. It's on the TIME and Bokklubben lists of the greatest books, and Lessing won the Nobel Prize. It ranks #1,693 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Golden Notebook about?
Anna Wulf, a writer in 1950s London, is blocked after one successful novel. She keeps four notebooks for different parts of her life: one about her years in Africa, one about her time in the Communist Party, one a novel about herself, and a diary. Around them runs a conventional novel about Anna and her friend Molly, two 'free women'. Finally she tries to bring it all together in one golden notebook.
How long does it take to read The Golden Notebook?
About 17 hours (676 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Golden Notebook?
If you liked it, try To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, Middlemarch by George Eliot or The Years by Annie Ernaux.