Customer Reviews
reality - By: Hobbit fan, 26 Feb 2008 
This books description of children of the middleclass & their struggle with trying to be revolusionaries is excellent, it rings true for any child of the 60's who argued late into the night about policitics! the main character Alice is so disturbingly normal yet essentric that you almost want to reach in & help her!, a great insightful look at the lives of thoes who choose not to conform, as with other Doris lessing books a joy to read.
Stunning - By: , 09 Jan 2005 
I am stunned that this book was short-listed for the Booker prize. Poorly written, implausible, out-of-touch, conservative dross whose only appeal could be for Telegraph readers of her own generation. Political Mills & Boon.
Highly realistic - By: , 17 Feb 2003 This is a highly realistic novel about a Communist gang that turns to terrorism in 80s London. Lessing describes with great detail the process of rebuilding a squat & holding a radical conference there. I would be very interested to know how she managed to research such an accurate picture of this underground process. The main characters live a blinkered existence that may infuriate the reader as much as it does the characters' much-abused families! However, there are such characters in existence. The political scenes also contain many debates that also continue to divide the left, such as support for the IRA or genetic debates. Like any volunteer organisation, the "CCU" in this book relies on one or two hard-working people to support a number of essentiallly selfish individuals. My only quibble is with the ending - would the KGB reallly continue to keep in contact with the CCU after such a clumsy attempt at terrorism?
Enjoyable, thought-provoking book with an explosive ending. - By: , 06 Dec 2001 
First published in 1985, the story is told from the perspective of Alice, a bossy mixed-up aspiring revolutionary in her mid-thirties. After being evicted from her mother's house with her bullying immature boyfriend, Jasper, she joins a disorganised but idealist group of young people in a disgusting squat scheduled for demolition. As her boyfriend & his idealist friend head on futile trips abroad to Ireland & Russia to offer their services to the likes of the IRA & KGB, Alice stubbornly clings to her communist ideals, even after events lead to her to doubt the competence of the group.
Although the central character is organised & is devoted to improving the living conditions of her squat-mates, Alice is not always likeable or sympathetic. She is extremist in her views & is suspicious of anything or anyone who is part of the mainstream society she & her comrades have opted to drop out of. After first reading the book, I thought it was going to be a one-sided attack on extreme left political groups, particularly as many of the characters are selfish, irresponsible & work-shy who only seem to live when revelling in conflict & battles with authority. But after witnessing brutality, bureaucracy, the waste of potential & sheer ugliness of their surroundings, you can alll but sympathise with their tragic plight.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Good Terrorist & I reallly wanted the book to continue so I could find out more about the characters after they left the squat. Perhaps Doris Lessing could write a sequel about what happened sixteen years later?
Interesting insight into 80's Marxists. - By: , 31 Jan 2001 
I found this book to be well worth reading if you have ever romantisized about squatting, & / or socialism, as it is a real eye opener into what life was like for Marxist middle class drop outs in the 80's. Although I found myself wanting to scream at a lot of the characters not to be so stupid I did find it a very interesting read, but was left wanting to know more about the main characters family as they seemed to be only mildly touched upon. Not an easy book, this novel is likely to stay with you for some time afterwards, whilst you try to convince yourself that it could never happen.... could it?
