The Marriages Between Zones Three@@ Four and Five

How little we know or can imagine what may happen to this planet, or any other, as it has been happening for ages! And the reason for all this: providing experiences developing our consciousness, us the uppermost layer of the planet, or perhaps of this particular solar system.Remember that Lady Doris was a student and friend of the eminent sage Idries Shah. Thus the extraordinary quality of this whole series Canopus in Argos: Archives of which this volume is a part. Read the whole corpus, I suggest. You will get a wider perspective of what kind of ants, nay bacteria, we are compared to the whole Cosmos. And again, the Purpose of all this: both kind of similar to some parts of some religions and also going so much beyond the popular simplifications, beyond what the author calls Degenerative Disease.And still it is an easy read, not the dryness of the Western philosophy. Of course if you are capable of transcending the mass media or social media daily nonsense. For people who aspire to thinking as opposed to mechanicality which we mistake for thinking. Be prepared to allow that it is less fictional than you may think.

This is very interesting. A new read for me, lots of metaphors. Bought on a suggestion, will order more of Doris Lessings' books!

What an enthralling story that takes you for a ride through the different zones. This is a part of Lessing's voyage into science-fiction and to my mind the sci-fi aspect is just a vehicle for questioning our relationship to sexuality and what it bears in terms of society. Lessing takes you through the thralls of sexuality, attachment, and domination in a very interesting way and leads you to question all the relationships you may have had in your lifetime. This was a deeply moving book to me and at one point cracked me open with sobs. I highly recommend it.

A strange book. More fable than anything else. Took a while to get into it. Overall OK, saved by Doris Lessing's beautiful prose.

A truly wonderful book. I've read it at least 4 times and am sure, eventually I read it at least that many times more. It has many layers and as I evolve I reach another.... so it never gets old.

A shocking and couragious book. Verging on masterpiece.

Lessing examines unrecognised inner stagnation and the unexpected, and eventually welcome, stimuli that overcome it. Lessing was a great writer but pages and pages of this book read like those tv series where everyone whispers so we know how profound it all is. Especially where the two main protagonists, Al*Ith from the higher, and Ben Ata from the lower Zone examine their enforced marriage. But if you speed read that stuff you find the two parted, but not apart, the various Zones, from 3 to 5, enlivened, and an optimistic ending. All pretty clearly Sufi ideas. Interesting also where Lessing says the greater the light the greater the dark. Somewhere in the Bible it says “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. “. In the Bible it’s a question. God (of course) is the answer. For Lessing there's no question. She heads for the hills. A book that is both boring and engrossing.

I found this book very sad. Al-lth lonely fate is heart breaking and doesn't say much for the gods of canopus. I can't help but wonder if there is an autobiographical element to this story. Doris seems to understand being dumped for a younger woman all to well. Not to mention the loss of her former position and "zone". Oh well, the first book in the series "shikasta" is by far the best and the third "the sirion experiments" is excellent as well.

Envolvente

Maravillosa saga está de Canopus en ArgosReveladora y movilizadora desde el primer libro.Para quien busque entender, altamente recomendable

This is my favourite of the collection - wonderful way of seeing the world; there is not much I can say about Doris that hasn't already been written. Inspired. A truly enlightened way of looking at relationships that beats the rubbish, endless self-help books/progammes/experts of today.

This book is the second in the Canopus in Argos series.The series concerns the influences on the human psyche and the way we interact with each other and react to internal and external influences. Lessing has created a universe with three interstellar empires, Canopus, Sirius and Puttoria. Canopus is advanced and spiritual - their approach to the universe is in terms of stewardship and alignment, intervening where necessary, and by any means, to maintain universal harmony. Sirius is a younger empire and view lower lifeforms (including us) as animals for experimentation - they are very practical and not particularly motivated by higher spiritual matters. Puttoria has a community within it known as Shammat - this community have learned how to feed off disharmony and are a very negative influence throughout this quintet of novels.The 5 books are:- Shikasta - Re: Colonised Planet 5- The Marriages Between Zones Three Four and Five- The Sirian Experiments Report by Ambien II of the Five- The Making Of The Representative of Planet 8- Sentimental Agents in the Volyen EmpireIn this second book, the issues of difference (between the sexes, but also between political agendas and cultures) are explored in depth. Lessing takes two very different kingdoms that have never interacted and have developed in different ways. One kingdom (Zone 3)is very gentle and feminine, ethereal; society is well balanced, calm and peaceful, without jealousy but seemingly without passion. The other Kingdom is set in Zone 4 and life there contains more hardship, it is ordered, warlike, masculine, austere and materially poor, but emotions run high.By ordering a 'marriage' between the Queen of Zone Three with the King of Zone Four, the two kingdoms begin to interact and influence each other, bringing social change and spiritual development that is irreversible. Whilst change brings discomfort and resistance, it is necessary for the good of the universe.Lessing has created a Fairy Tale for adults that enables exploration of many aspects of human nature.

Very good book