Doris Lessing has won the 2007 Nobel Prize for literature.

Some quotes from around the InterTubes:

“By combining literary science fiction with a stringent, pioneering brand of feminism, Lessing gave a glimpse of the qualities for which she was to become famous.” – The Guardian

“When I was starting out, science fiction was a little genre over there, which only a few people read. But now — where are you going to put, for example, Salman Rushdie? Or any of the South American writers? Most people get by calling them magical realists.” – Doris Lessing in this Newsday interview.

“Ms. Lessing’s strongest legacy may be that she inspired a generation of feminists with her breakthrough novel, ‘The Golden Notebook.’” – New York Times

“They can’t give a Nobel to someone who’s dead so I think they were probably thinking they had better give it to me now before I popped off.” – The 87-year-old Lessing quoted by BBC News.

“Although Ms. Lessing at the beginning of her writing career had a few admirable qualities, I find her work for the past 15 years quite unreadable … fourth-rate science fiction” – American literary critic Harold Bloom quoted by Associated Press, discussing the “pure political correctness” of Lessing’s win.

Perhaps that Bloom guy is just jealous that the award comes with a cash prize of… [inset Dr. Evil voice]…1.6 million dollars?

As for me, I am complete: I have read a Pulitzer winning novel (The Road) and now the work of a Nobel-winning author (Lessing’s The Fifth Child). Single file, ladies…

Related posts:

  1. REVIEW: The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
  2. The Ig Nobel Prize
  3. Spaceship One wins the X-Prize
  4. The DNA of Literature
  5. Literature

Filed under: Books

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!