# Doris Lessing - Nobel prize for literature **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350 "2007-10-11T14:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/1 "2007-10-11T14:44:15Z")
It’s Nobel prize time around about now, and Doris Lessing has just picked up the [literature prize](http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/2007/announcement.html). She is actually the oldest ever winner, at 87. (I have learnt a new word from that press release:epicist - a writer of epics). I’ve always had a soft spot for Doris because she was never ashamed of writing some sci-fi, unlike certain other high profile writers one could think of (cough - Margaret Atwood). In fact, is this the first time a writer whose work can be found on the sci-fi bookshelves has won the nobel prize for lit? Not read a huge amount of her stuff, but impressed with the books I have picked up - I read a couple of her **Canopus in Argus** series and thought they were really excellent, written with a unique voice. \*\*Briefing for a descent into hell \*\*didn’t click for me, but **the fifth child** is a near-masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/2 "2007-10-11T16:32:24Z")
> [@](#): > > In fact, is this the first time a writer whose work can be found on the sci-fi bookshelves has won the nobel prize for lit? Rudyard Kipling wrote several science fiction stories. Sinclair Lewis’ _It Can’t Happen Here_ could be considered a SF novel. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/3 "2007-10-11T23:53:52Z")
Lessing is certainly the first Nobel laureate for literature who has also been a guest of honor at a World Science Fiction Convention (in 1987). ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/4 "2007-10-12T00:09:39Z")
I stopped paying attention when they gave one to Toni Morrison. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/5 "2007-10-12T00:44:03Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] I stopped paying attention when they gave one to Toni Morrison. [/QUOTE] Why? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/6 "2007-10-12T00:52:29Z")
That was a close one. I nearly put €50 on Roth to win. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/7 "2007-10-12T00:57:40Z")
They’ve been showing video on the news over here; it seems the first she heard of it was from the reporters sent to her house to interview her about it. “You’ve won the Nobel prize for literature!” “Oh, Christ.” ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/8 "2007-10-12T01:11:21Z")
I’ve been smelling Nobel on Lessing since the eighties. I’m glad she won. If Phillip Roth ever wins, I’ll quit. Murakami needs to be next. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/9 "2007-10-12T01:27:06Z")
Quit what? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/10 "2007-10-12T01:40:14Z")
Caring? Sharing? What’ve you got? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/11 "2007-10-12T01:57:29Z")
I’ve tried some of her work, and y’know … it is dull enough for a Nobel prize. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/12 "2007-10-12T02:06:01Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] They’ve been showing video on the news over here; it seems the first she heard of it was from the reporters sent to her house to interview her about it. “You’ve won the Nobel prize for literature!” “Oh, Christ.” [/QUOTE] Simon Mayo’s show this afternoon had Ronan Bennett’s new book and the translator of Irene Nemirovsky’s book, both of who _squeeeed_ when Doris Lessing came on the phone. She said to Simon that Mr. Marquez had been phoning her house for ages, and she wanted to speak to him. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/13 "2007-10-12T02:17:36Z")
I read The Fifth Child in college and thought that it was just something that my teacher personally liked and on that basis alone felt it worth putting into a class. What prose there was wasn’t impressive, what story there was was very unoriginal, and what point there was was vapid. I’m surprised I remember the book well enough to give that much of a summary. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/14 "2007-10-12T03:42:09Z")
I used to like Lessing’s writing, a lot–to the point that I sought it out. The ideas in some of her books may sound old and trite now but they were news to me when I read them. However, I have been consistently unable to make myself reread them, and I tried. But nonetheless I was glad to hear she got the Nobel. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/15 "2007-10-12T03:52:41Z")
Doris sez: [I couldn’t care less.](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301244,00.html) I have never read a word she’s written, but that she said “couldn’t care less” instead of “could care less” automatically vaults her into my pantheon of heroes. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doris-lessing-nobel-prize-for-literature/422350/16 "2007-10-13T12:42:04Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Doris sez: [I couldn’t care less.](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301244,00.html) I have never read a word she’s written, but that she said “couldn’t care less” instead of “could care less” automatically vaults her into my pantheon of heroes. [/QUOTE] I don’t think it’s that she doesn’t care as much as she doesn’t care the way she would have half a century or so ago. She has been nominated many times before and has been thought of as a worthy candidate for at least the past thirty years or so and as such I think she gotten quite familiar with the idea.