Skip to content

The Sweetest Dream
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream Paperback - 2002

by Doris Lessing

Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, the decade that changed the world, "The Sweetest Dream" is a riveting look from one of the greatest writers of our time at a group of people who dared to dream--and faced the inevitable clean up afterward.


Summary

PerfectBound e-book extra: "What Has Been, Can Be Again" a speech by the authorIt's the morning of the Sixties and it's suppertime at Freedom Hall, the most welcoming household in North London. Frances Lennox stands at her stove, bringing another feast to readiness before ladling it out to the motley, youthful crew assembled around her hospitable table-her two sons and their friends, girlfriends, ex-friends and new friends fresh off the street. Everything is up for grabs, everything is being changed and challenged. And here in this kitchen, the nutritious tolerance can be sniffed even above the simmering stew.

From the publisher

"[Lessing] is a pro, writing at the top of her powers, realistically, passionately, accessibly.... a stirring novel"--San Francisco Chronicle

Frances Lennox stands at her stove, bringing another feast to readiness before ladling it out to the youthful crew assembled around her hospitable table--her two sons and their friends, girlfriends, ex-friends and new friends fresh off the street. It's London in the 1960s and everything is being challenged and changed.

But what is being tolerated? Comrade Johnny delivers political tirades, then laps up the adolescent adulation before disappearing into the night to evade the clutches of his responsibilities. Johnny's mother funds all but finds she can embrace only one lost little girl--Sylvia, who leaves for a South African village dying of AIDS.

These are the people dreaming the Sixties into being and who, on the morning after, woke to find they were the ones taxed with cleaning up and making good.

First line

AN EARLY EVENING in autumn, and the street below was a scene of small yellow lights that suggested intimacy, and people already bundled up for winter.

From the rear cover

Frances Lennox ladles out dinner every night to the motley, exuberant, youthful crew assembled around her hospitable tableher two sons and their friends, girlfriends, ex-friends, and ftesh-off-the-street friends. It's the early 1960s and certainly "everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds." Except financial circumstances demand that Frances and her sons Eve with her proper ex-mother-in-law. And her ex-husband, Comrade Johnny, has just dumped his second wife's problem child at Frances's feet. And the world's political landscape has suddenly become surreal beyond imagination....

Set against the backdrop of the decade that changed the world forever, The Sweetest Dream is a riveting look at a group of people who dared to dream-and faced the inevitable cleanup afterward -- from one of the greatest writers of our time.

Details

  • Title The Sweetest Dream
  • Author Doris Lessing
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 479
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Perennial, New York, New York
  • Date December 24, 2002
  • ISBN 9780060937553 / 0060937556
  • Weight 0.85 lbs (0.39 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.01 x 5.28 x 0.92 in (20.35 x 13.41 x 2.34 cm)
  • Themes
    • Sex & Gender: Feminine
    • Topical: Coming of Age
    • Topical: Friendship
  • Library of Congress subjects Mothers and daughters, Domestic fiction
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Citations

  • New York Times, 12/29/2002, Page 16
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£2.85
£3.22 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial, 2002-12-23. paperback. Very Good. 5x0x8. US Soft Cover Edition. Book is in great condition! Little to no damage present on cover, pages, spine, or corners. An amazing buy!
Item Price
£2.85
£3.22 shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
Condition
Used - Like New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Medford, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£3.10
£3.26 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial, 2002-12-24. Used - Like New. Used Like New, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark.
Item Price
£3.10
£3.26 shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
Condition
UsedGood
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Imperial, Missouri, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£3.60
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedGood. The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
Item Price
£3.60
FREE shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£3.76
£3.26 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial. Used - Very Good. Very Good condition. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain a few markings such as an owner’s name, short gifter’s inscription or light stamp.
Item Price
£3.76
£3.26 shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£3.76
£3.26 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Item Price
£3.76
£3.26 shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Doris Lessing

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£4.90
£2.86 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial. Used - Very Good. 2002. Paperback. Very Good.
Item Price
£4.90
£2.86 shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£4.90
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial, 2002. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
£4.90
FREE shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream : A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream : A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.44
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£5.44
FREE shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream : A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream : A Novel

by Lessing, Doris

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.44
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
£5.44
FREE shipping to USA
The Sweetest Dream: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Sweetest Dream: A Novel

by Doris Lessing

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780060937553 / 0060937556
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£6.43
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial, 2003-01-01. Paperback. Good.
Item Price
£6.43
FREE shipping to USA