There was an old woman— by Robert Silverberg
"There Was an Old Woman—" by Robert Silverberg is a thought-provoking science fiction novel written in the late 1950s. The book delves into themes of identity, individuality, and the consequences of extreme parental control through a unique narrative centered on a mother and her thirty-one identical sons. It explores how environmental factors influence personal development, challenging the notion of genetic determinism. The story revolves around Donna Mitchell, a biochemist, who conducts a
radical experiment to test her theory that environment shapes personality and profession. By creating thirty-one identical sons through advanced reproductive techniques, she meticulously plans their futures, each assigned a different career path. As they approach adulthood, the sons begin to experience disillusionment, discovering that they are not destined for the lives their mother envisioned. The narrative culminates in a shocking resolution, as the brothers confront their dissatisfaction and take drastic measures to escape their predetermined fates, ultimately leading to their mother's demise. Silverberg crafts a gripping tale that raises ethical questions about parental ambition and the essence of individuality. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Silverberg, Robert, 1935- |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Emshwiller, Ed, 1925-1990 |
| Title | There was an old woman— |
| Original Publication | New York, NY: Royal Publications, Inc., 1958. |
| Note | Reading ease score: 73.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Mothers and sons -- Fiction |
| Subject | Human cloning -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 72082 |
| Release Date | Nov 9, 2023 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 134 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
