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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This was my very first Murdoch novel and I was very impressed with her literary genius. She places a myriad of obscure characters together in a lay community situated next to an abbey, and it is here that a series of events and backstories unfold that explore the intricacies of the human experience. I don't recall any moments throughout this novel during which I felt dreadful to continue reading. There is so much nuance in these pages that it is nearly impossible to not like reading; from the first pages, you are wrapped up in the complex psyches of Murdoch's characters, and they are irresistible. I definitely recommend checking out Murdoch's work, and I am looking forward to reading more of her prowess.
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
funny
reflective
tense
slow-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
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
My fifth Murdoch. Its structural conventionality lacks the delightful chaos and wild insanity that characterises my favourite works of hers, but it's still an excellent novel. No one can make me gasp aloud and need to physically put a book down to recover like Murdoch. A much better handling of the religious theme than her later Time of the Angels. Exquisite prose. Characters that offer the messiest and most intricate forms of humanity. An easy introduction to Murdoch, though perhaps only ranks as my fourth favourite thus far.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Als dit boek recent zou zijn geschreven, zou ik op vier sterren uitkomen. Maar er zitten heel wat aspecten in die je, gezien de tijd waarin het is geschreven, rustig controversieel kunt noemen. Het betoonde lef zorgt voor die vijfde ster. Later meer.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is regarded as a novel of moral debates, the good life, religion, truth, the symbolism of bells…my take is that this is a grand comic novel (the climax is hilarious, had me laughing out lotloud) about mostly stupid people. Is there a more stupid central character in any novel than Dora, bursting into tears at anything, unable to stick to anything, always hopelessly misguided and misinterpreting. Is there a more stupid character in any novel than Michael, with again an incessant ability to misinterpret and simply cock things up again and again. The cast of characters in this strange world is wonderful, like the real world, populated by many people who go about the world in a fog of their own.
And fog is a constant metaphor here, there’s always fog. And I loved th way that Murdoch describes the grounds of Imber Court in constant detail and yet one still hasn’t the foggiest idea of how it really how it looks in geographical terms. It’s a brilliant novelistic device that parallels the characters themselves and marks her out as a great novelist.
But the scenes from the arrival of the bishop to the loss of the bell are comic gold, as good as anything Waugh or Dickens would write
And fog is a constant metaphor here, there’s always fog. And I loved th way that Murdoch describes the grounds of Imber Court in constant detail and yet one still hasn’t the foggiest idea of how it really how it looks in geographical terms. It’s a brilliant novelistic device that parallels the characters themselves and marks her out as a great novelist.
But the scenes from the arrival of the bishop to the loss of the bell are comic gold, as good as anything Waugh or Dickens would write
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes