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Doris Lessing's Nobel Prize Recognizes Impact of Women's Movement on Literature, Duke Professor Says

'Golden Notebook' author represented the world from a woman's point of view

Duke professor Toril Moi said she was "thrilled and delighted" to hear the news that British writer Doris Lessing had won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature.

In recognizing Lessing, the Nobel Committee has acknowledged the impact of the women's movement on 20th century literature, said Moi, who is the James B. Duke Professor of Literature, Romance Studies, Theater Studies and English. She has taught and written about Lessing.

"When I heard the news this morning, I was thrilled and delighted," Moi said. "Doris Lessing is a spectacular choice for the Nobel Prize in Literature. She should have had it 30 years ago."

Lessing's work spans every narrative genre, from the magnificent realistic and autobiographical Children of Violence cycle to the grandiose, science-fiction-inspired Canopus in Argos cycle, Moi said.. In between there are the early novels of Africa, the late novels of everyday evil. Gender relations, race relations, colonialism, postcolonialism, communism and capitalism are all important themes for Lessing. Her collected works amount to a Comédie Humaine of the late 20th century, Moi said.

Above all, however, Lessing is famous as the author of The Golden Notebook. Published in 1962, the novel presents a whole generation's experience of the world -- including politics, racism, writing, madness and sexual passion -- from women's point of view. Without having any kind of feminist agenda, Lessing nevertheless produced a feminist masterpiece simply because she took for granted -- and showed that she took for granted -- that women's experiences of the world are just as representative, just as revealing, and just as important as men's, Moi said.

"Doris Lessing is our Balzac, or rather Doris Lessing is the Balzac we deserve," Moi said.