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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Interesting read. I find Murdoch's takes on morality the most interesting part of her writing. The "action sequences" (for lack of a better term) are a bit much sometimes to be honest.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This is what you get until I can bend my distracted mind towards a review...
A friend surprised me with the gift of this book, and I'm so glad they did! I loved it more than I anticipated and want to read more Murdoch now. The Bell is an interesting exploration of identity and how it is shaped by place and relationship and tragedy. How we are forged through these things. The shifting POVs was interesting and I admired how they were not evenly divided--it would be an interesting novel to map out structurally. Interesting to think about the sunken bell and the singing bell--I'll leave at that to avoid spoilers, though this isn't a novel you should read if you're only interested in plot. Rather, it's a study of humanity and spirituality and connection/disconnection and growth, how we grow into ourselves, how humans collect and disperse like water.
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't love this book as much as The Sandcastle but I still found it to be well written and the characters felt fleshed out and realistic. There is normally something in Iris Murdoch that brushes up against magical realism without fully embracing it and I thought that aspect was a little more heavy handed in this book but that was probably because I knew it was coming. There was also a bit that for want of a better word gave me the ick. Michael the leader of the community ends up kissing Toby who is only 18 and it is also revealed that he had a romantic relationship with one of his students when he was a teacher. I'm not saying no gay man has ever made bad life choices but when you're surrounded by right wing media claiming all drag queens are groomers thos sort of depiction does get my back up. I would like to read more of Murdoch's work and hopefully the main character will be less useless because that also impacted my enjoyment of the book although I did sympathise with her a little more by the end and at one point couldn't stop myself from going 'oh f@#$ off, Paul' when her husband was being a jerk again. So perhaps I too experienced some character growth.
Really not sure about this, it took me a while to get into the flow of Murdoch's writing but the reality is it left me wanting. The problem is I'm not sure what!
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Iris, my queen!!! This book delighted and charmed me. Her WIT!!!! Take a drink every time Toby thinks something is rebarbative.
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
With some reservations, I enjoyed reading The Bell. I'm a sucker for a 'closed circle' story - a type found more frequently in the mystery genre than in 'literary' novels, and I also love tales of religion or cults.
This is the story of a lay community living close to, and associated with, an Abbey of cloistered nuns. The Abbey shimmers on the edges of the novel itself, with a satisfyingly mysterious presence. The device of an actual bell (well, two in fact!) in the story is quite inspired.
The characters are an interesting mix, thrown together in a hothouse situation, some of them grappling with powerful dilemmas. There's more suspense than is normally found in character-driven novels. I kept turning the pages, wondering how their various musings and interactions would play out.
There is a lot of musing though, and agonising, and philosophising, especially in the first half of the book. Three of the main characters are periodically given a direct point of view (though still in the third person) but even then a relentless authorial voice keeps intruding. I found the laborious descriptions of the physical layout of the property unhelpful. A map would have greatly clarified things and spared the reader being dragged around corners, across causeways and through the woods.
The 'action', such as it is, speeds up in the second half of the book, to the point where it becomes a bit farcical. I found this rather jarring after the more reflective, stately pace of the first half. But in fairness, the plot does play out and wrap up quite satisfactorily. 'The Bell' is a bit dated, but overall it's a thought-provoking and entertaining read.
This is the story of a lay community living close to, and associated with, an Abbey of cloistered nuns. The Abbey shimmers on the edges of the novel itself, with a satisfyingly mysterious presence. The device of an actual bell (well, two in fact!) in the story is quite inspired.
The characters are an interesting mix, thrown together in a hothouse situation, some of them grappling with powerful dilemmas. There's more suspense than is normally found in character-driven novels. I kept turning the pages, wondering how their various musings and interactions would play out.
There is a lot of musing though, and agonising, and philosophising, especially in the first half of the book. Three of the main characters are periodically given a direct point of view (though still in the third person) but even then a relentless authorial voice keeps intruding. I found the laborious descriptions of the physical layout of the property unhelpful. A map would have greatly clarified things and spared the reader being dragged around corners, across causeways and through the woods.
The 'action', such as it is, speeds up in the second half of the book, to the point where it becomes a bit farcical. I found this rather jarring after the more reflective, stately pace of the first half. But in fairness, the plot does play out and wrap up quite satisfactorily. 'The Bell' is a bit dated, but overall it's a thought-provoking and entertaining read.