The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 3 March 1998
by Iris Murdoch
Iris Murdoch was a master craftsperson in the construction of convoluted circles of people and their personal interactions. Her characters often have a haunted air about them, and death stalks many of her novels. This book is no exception, except that it is one of the best examples of her work.
Austin is a disturbed man, confused and paralyzed by his relationships with his eminent brother and sad wife, Dorina. Ludwig is an American draft-dodger struggling with justification for his actions. Gracie is his flighty fiance. Austin's brother Matthew wonders what to do with his life after giving up a spiritual quest. These and many other family members pass a few months of their lives in convoluted interchanges of unhappiness and moral unrest. Through this story, Murdoch tackles her main purpose, giving meaning to the very existence of her characters, even in the depths of life's accidents, big and small. For some reason, her work doesn't end up being as depressing as it sounds, and a faint glimmer of hope shines at the end of the various tunnels she excavates.
Also by Murdoch: [The Sandcastle] [The Flight from the Enchanter] [The Green Knight]