''The Gates of Ivory'' is a 1991 novel by novelist Margaret Drabble. The novel is the third in a series of novels, following ''

The Radiant Way ''The Radiant Way'' is a 1987 novel by British novelist Margaret Drabble. The novel provides social commentary and critique of 1980s Britain, by exploring the lives of three Cambridge-educated women with careers as knowledge professionals. Plo ...

'' and ''

A Natural Curiosity ''A Natural Curiosity'' is a 1989 novel by Margaret Drabble. The novel is an unintended sequel to Drabble's 1987 novel '' The Radiant Way'', follows the lives of the three protagonist women first introduced in that novel. The novel continues Dra ...

''. The novel continues the stories of several middle aged intellectuals introduced in the last two novels. The novel also introduces a new character, Stephen Cox who is loosely based on J.G. Farrell.

Style

The novel includes metafiction reflecting on the choices Drabble made while writing the novel. The novel also includes a bibliography referencing a number of works which provide background and connections for the rest of the novel. The novel's narratives that rotate between both the present and flashbacks narratives from each of the main characters. The novel also introduces characters from ''The Needle's Eye''.

Reviews

''New York Times'' reviewer Linda Simon was disappointed with the novel, writing "intellectually stimulating and, as we might expect from Ms. Drabble, very smart. But ideas do not make a novel. Characters do." ''Publishers Weekly'' describes the novel as "command ngawe even as rabble'ssubject matter rouses immeasurable stores of pity and terror."

References

1991 British novels Novels by Margaret Drabble Postmodern novels Viking Press books {{postmodern-novel-stub