Wednesday 28 May 2008

Know thy self

I have been lingering far longer than normal for a book, over Doris Lessing's autobiography, Under My Skin. For a change I haven't rushed at it, but savoured the descriptions of a childhood in Rhodesia and furrowed my forehead untangling the communism of her young adulthood.
Last night Alan Yentob was allowed into her kitchen to make her tea, lots of tea, and we were reminded of a woman who has made the word indomitable her own descriptor.
Age presumably plays a part, or perhaps not after all, but I cannot remember ever hearing or reading someone so absolutely self aware, so understanding of her own nature, and with such a sharp and clear view of humanity. This does not make for a soft experience, for her (leaving her first two children to pursue the life she had to must have been beyond painful) or for us (people are interesting but hardly important). She is revealed as a woman full of drives; her love of the physical, the sexual, the political, the humanitarian, all without caveats, all without delusion.
The programme shows her in 1958, very beautiful and specific as ever, sponsor of the Aldermaston marches, putting an unequivocal case against nuclear weapons, coolly and unemotionally.
To be so clear in ones own mind on any issue, about oneself... how few of us have that rarest of abilities. And if we think we do know our own mind, we mostly struggle to express what we know.
Watch The Hostess and The Alien here.

7 comments:

Flowerpot said...

Damn I meant to tape that programme - and the book sounds fascinating. Must put it on my TBR list.

Whispering Walls said...

Hi Mopsa - I left you a question about cheese on my blog

Eurodog said...

I have never read one of her books.
One for the desert island?

Mopsa said...

Fpot - if you have broadband, the quality of the link at the bottom of the post will be fine for viewing on your computer.

Eurowoof - don't wait for the desert island.

Anonymous said...

You know when I first was the picture, before I read the post, I thought it could have been your mother!

Anyhow I am a fan of her writing, but haven't read her autobiography which I shall now look forward too in the same lingering savouring of a treat.

Mopsa said...

Funny you should say that, Paula. My Mother has very fine boned, beautiful features, and I don't resemble her at all, but when I looked in the mirror a few days ago I could see a likeness to Doris as I age...just wish I had her mind.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

thanks for this post. I definitely want to read her autobiography.