I just finished The Cleft, by Doris Lessing. A nightmarish tale about human creation where women are called “clefts” and men are called “monsters” or “squirts”. Male babies are sacrificed for years until some eagles decide to save the “monster” babies and to take them to another part of the island they all share..where they grow up to be “squirts”. When the Clefts learn of this, they wander over and thus begins the story of how the human race began. Add animals that feed the babies, genital mutilation, and depictions of rape and murder and you have The Cleft.

It was almost unbearable for me to read it. Crude and not well written. I know she won the Nobel prize for literature but honestly, this book was like visiting a very unpleasant port-a-potty. Made me want to take a shower every time I touched it.

Needless to say.. I do not recommend it! If there are any of you out there that read it, and found it to be a staggering work of genius..please let me know as I really wanted it to be good. You know me, always looking for the silver lining.

Ti