In a word, the novel "The Golden Notebook" by Doris Lessing can be best described as complex. It is structured in a complex form intended to mimic the complexity of the life of the main character, Anna. Although complex, the form is actually an attempt by Anna to simplify and compartmentalize what she sees as disorder and chaos in her world. The main plot focuses on Anna's quest for wholeness but at the same time addresses difficult issues such as gender relations, love and marriage, suicide, child rearing and politics.
The novel is comprised of a frame story interrupted by excerpts from Anna's four notebooks. The frame story, Free Women, details a portion of Anna's life. The story begins shortly after Michael, Anna's married lover, ends their five-year relationship. Anna's friend Molly has just returned from a.....
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