Synopsis
Doris Lessing's contemporary gothic horror story—centered on the birth of a baby who seems less than human—probes society's unwillingness to recognize its own brutality.
Harriet and David Lovatt, parents of four children, have created an idyll of domestic bliss in defiance of the social trends of late 1960s England. While around them crime and unrest surge, the Lovatts are certain that their old-fashioned contentment can protect them from the world outside—until the birth of their fifth baby.
Gruesomely goblin-like in appearance, insatiably hungry, abnormally strong and violent, Ben has nothing innocent or infant-like about him. As he grows older and more terrifying, Harriet finds she cannot love him, David cannot bring himself to touch him, and their four older children are afraid of him.
Understanding that he will never be accepted anywhere, Harriet and David are torn between their instincts as parents and their shocked reaction to this fierce and unlovable child whose existence shatters their belief in a benign world.
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Review
The married couple in this novel pull off a remarkable achievement: They purchase a three-story house with oodles of bedrooms, and, on a middle-class income, in the '70s, fill it to the brim with happy children and visiting relatives. Their holiday gatherings are sumptuous celebrations of life and togetherness. And then the fifth child arrives. He's just a child--he's not supernatural. But is he really human? This is an elegantly written tale that the New York Times called "a horror story of maternity and the nightmare of social collapse . . . a moral fable of the genre that includes Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and George Orwell's 1984."
From the Inside Flap
A self-satisfied couple intent on raising a happy family is shocked by the birth of an abnormal and brutal fifth child.
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The Fifth Child (New Longman Literature)
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Fifth Child (New Longman Literature) This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780582060210
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The Fifth Child
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0582060214I3N00
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The Fifth Child
Published by
Longman Publishing Group, 1991
ISBN 10: 0582060214
ISBN 13: 9780582060210
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Seller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
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Condition: Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP21771976
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The Fifth Child (New Longman Literature)
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780582060210
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The Fifth Child (New Longman Literature)
Seller: medimops, Berlin, Germany
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Condition: good. Befriedigend/Good: Durchschnittlich erhaltenes Buch bzw. Schutzumschlag mit Gebrauchsspuren, aber vollständigen Seiten. / Describes the average WORN book or dust jacket that has all the pages present. Seller Inventory # M00582060214-G
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The Fifth Child
Seller: Hamelyn, Madrid, M, Spain
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Como nuevo. : The Fifth Child es una novela de Doris Lessing, publicada por primera vez en 1988. La historia sigue a Harriet y David Lovatt, una pareja que anhela una vida familiar tradicional y numerosa. Sin embargo, el nacimiento de su quinto hijo, Ben, trae consigo caos y terror a sus vidas. Ben es un bebé inusualmente fuerte y agresivo que perturba la armonía familiar y aliena a sus hermanos. A medida que Ben crece, se vuelve más antisocial y violento, lo que lleva a la familia a aislarse de la sociedad. La novela explora temas como el miedo a lo desconocido, la naturaleza del mal y la desintegración de la familia. EAN: 9780582060210 Tipo: Libros Categoría: Literatura y Ficción Título: The Fifth Child Autor: Doris Lessing Editorial: Flamingo Idioma: en Páginas: 168 Formato: tapa blanda. Seller Inventory # Happ-2023-08-04-91c74a90
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FIFTH CHILD
Seller: Ammareal, Morangis, France
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Softcover. Condition: Bon. Légères traces d'usure sur la couverture. Ammareal reverse jusqu'à 15% du prix net de cet article à des organisations caritatives. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Book Condition: Used, Good. Slight signs of wear on the cover. Ammareal gives back up to 15% of this item's net price to charity organizations. Seller Inventory # E-579-529
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The Fifth Child
Seller: Yare Books, Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom
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Trade Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Reprint. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # 023318
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The Fifth Child
Seller: biblion2, Obersulm, Germany
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Condition: Good. Taschenbuch. Zustandsangabe altersgemäß. Sofortversand aus Deutschland. Artikel wiegt maximal 500g. 147 Seiten. englische Sprache, Einband mit geringen Gebrauchsspuren, Vorsatz beschriftet. Seller Inventory # 5531499 sb
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The fifth child
Seller: Libros Eco, Les Franqueses del Vallès, B, Spain
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Condition: Bueno. The fifth child. Seller Inventory # 480908