Stories cover

Stories

by Doris Lessing

This wide-ranging collection of stories by the renowned Nobel Laureate - spanning more than two decades of her career - highlights her singular gifts for portraying the complex lives of men and women in a modern, often alienating world." "Included are seminal stories like "To Room Nineteen," in which a woman reacts against the oppression of her banal marriage with dreadful results, and "One off the Short List," which traces the surprising conclusion to a seduction gone awry. In "The Habit of Loving," a lonely older man who takes a vivacious young wife witnesses an unexpected reversal of intimacy. Here also are two classic novellas, The Temptation of Jack Orkney and The Other Woman, exemplifying Lessing's impressive understanding of her characters' psychology.

More by Doris Lessing

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?