Žrvanj

A masterpiece of contemporary British prose, Margaret Drabble's The Millstone portrays London in the 1960s through the inner world of Rosamund Stacey - an independent, educated and reserved young woman exploring early English literature. Her carefully controlled academic life is fundamentally changed when, after a single short-lived love affair, she becomes pregnant. Proud and determined not to seek help from the child's father or to fit into the conventional social molds of the time, Rosamund decides to give birth and raise her daughter alone in a city that can often be merciless towards unwed mothers.

The titular "millstone" is a metaphor for the difficult, grinding social norms, guilt and internal transformations that the main character goes through. Through the author's sharp, humorous and introspective style, the novel dissects the position of women, the hypocrisy of the institutions of the time and the complexity of maternal feelings that range from initial alienation to unconditional love. Drabble depicts with remarkable psychological nuance how the experience of parenthood breaks down the protagonist's intellectual defense mechanisms, forcing her to confront the real world beyond the pages of the book.

This compassionate yet realistic work has become a classic text of feminist literature, offering a timeless study of autonomy, female strength, and maturation.