A review by dejnozkova
The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

adventurous funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book started off pretty slow tbh, but once it picked up I really started enjoying it. Charles, the protagonist, is also the narrator and he is dramatic and irrational but insists that he is reasonable and the only sane person, which is the fun of it. While he is a bit annoying and frustrating to listen to (honestly I’d find him insufferable if I ever met him), the wild things that happen to him and the tea he slowly reveals about his personal life is what keeps you turning the pages. 

This book is about finding self-awareness and also the dangers of nostalgia and seeing what we want to see in lieu of accepting things as they are, especially in regard to the people we love (or believe we love). If you love unreliable narrators, skillfully painted characters, introspection and self-reflection, gossip and drama, and character development this is a very enjoyable book if you can manage the slower pace in the beginning.