Reviews

The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

thecatwhowalksbyhimself's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

dunder_mifflin's review

3.0

I did enjoy this book; I find reading about troubled/different children really interesting. However the pacing felt off to me, although I can't put my finger on what exactly was wrong with it, and I wasn't really a fan of any of the characters: what was keeping me interested was Ben's development.

delaguila19's review against another edition

4.0

Libro desgarrador, un relato muy bien escrito.

whatever_andra's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

kukkastrutsi's review

challenging dark tense

4.0

simsalabim_sabrina's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ariuh's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

vcodin's review

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

katiemg15's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

slow_spines's review

dark tense

3.75

An unnerving story about a couple trying to build a family against a background of social unrest. Harriet and David meet at work in the 60s, buy a large Victorian house, decide against the pill, and soon start to populate the empty rooms. They throw extravagant, multi-week celebrations at Christmas and Easter, and they live a life full of the familial love they promised each other they would have. Their family say that, as wonderful as it is, perhaps enough is enough for the time being. Harriet and David agree. Then Harriet falls pregnant with their fifth child, Ben, and the difficult pregnancy that is just the beginning. 

This is horror, but noncommittal and unexpected horror: through the eyes on Harriet, Ben is referred to as many things - "mongol", changeling, troll, monster, boy - all correct, never questioned. This is not that story. It is not concerned with questioning the veracity of Harriet's thoughts, nor is it a story of what Ben is, but why or how he is. 

There is a right-wing undertone to the book. Talks of civil unrest, of muggings, lootings and rapings - the notion of Britain going to the dogs - are infrequent, but stark against the idyllic scenes of family life. Harriet and David are presented as having these children with no concern for how they should pay for them (they require full-time financial and emotional support from their parents), which is a whisker away from talk of benefit sponges. Ben is seen on the one hand as wholly (un)natural and irredeemable-prison-fodder, and on the other as being a product of nurture - a baby born into a family unable to accommodate and therefore socialise him, i.e., the bogeyman of a broken home. Questions with a slant that I'm not sympathetic to, but nonetheless interesting in the context of the story. 

Its a pretty gloomy and tense read that's open to interpretation.