LESSING, DORIS, 1919 to 2013
Doris Lessing
British novelist, poet, playwright, librettist, biographer, and short story writer.
- Books
- 14
- Editions tracked
- 16
- First editions
- 13
- Nationality
- United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Collect Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing books in order
In publication order
- 1The Grass Is Singing1950
- 2Martha Quest1952
- 3The Habit of Loving1957
- 4The Golden Notebook1962
- 5Briefing for a Descent Into Hell1971
- 6The Memoirs of a Survivor1974
- 7To Room Nineteen1978
- 8Shikasta1979
- 9The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five (as Narrated by the Chroniclers of Zone Three)1980
- 10The Good Terrorist1985
- 11Prisons We Choose to Live Inside1986
- 12The Fifth Child1988
Show all 14 books in order
- 13On Cats2002
- 14The Grandmothers2003
First editions, year by year
- 1950The Grass Is SingingMichael Joseph
- 1952Martha QuestJoseph
- 1957The Habit of LovingMacGibbon & Kee
- 1962The Golden NotebookMichael Joseph
- 1971Briefing for a Descent Into HellJonathan Cape
- 1974The Memoirs of a SurvivorOctagon Press
- 1978To Room NineteenJonathan Cape
- 1979ShikastaJonathan Cape
- 1980The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five (as Narrated by the Chroniclers of Zone Three)Jonathan Cape
- 1985The Good TerroristJonathan Cape
- 1986Prisons We Choose to Live InsideCBC Enterprises
- 1988The Fifth ChildJonathan Cape
- 2003The GrandmothersFlamingo
Which edition do you have?
- 1st Joseph1952 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- 1st Jonathan Cape1978 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- 1st Jonathan Cape1985 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- 1st CBC Enterprises1986 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- Jonathan Cape1987 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- 1st Jonathan Cape1988 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- Knopf1988 Other Not yet valued Log in to want this
- Harper2008 Other Not yet valued Log in to want this
- 1st Flamingo2003 Other Not yet valued Log in to want this
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Frequently asked questions
What order should I read Doris Lessing's books in?
In publication order they begin with The Grass Is Singing (1950), then Martha Quest (1952) and The Habit of Loving (1957). Books in a series are listed in series order on this page.
What was Doris Lessing's first book?
The earliest book we list is The Grass Is Singing, first published in 1950.
When was Doris Lessing born?
Doris Lessing was born in 1919 and died in 2013.
How many Doris Lessing books does MyVolumes track?
We track 14 books by Doris Lessing across 16 editions, 13 of them first editions.
How do I know if my Doris Lessing book is a first edition?
Open the book's page here and compare the publisher, place, date and the issue points we list for the first printing with your copy's title page and copyright page.