The Book and the Brotherhood: A Story about Love and Friendship and Marxism (Penguin Fiction)

Iris Murdoch explores the fragility of relationships. Thirty years is plenty of time for friends to change their opinions. Not least of each other."Iris Murdoch is incapable of writing without fascinating and beautiful colour." - The TimesAt a midsummer ball at Oxford a close-knit group of men and women - friends since university days - have gathered to dance under the stars. Years ago, they had clubbed together to finance one of their numbers to write a political and philosophical book. On this summer evening, events at the ball spark a crisis, and by the night’s end, the vindictive ghosts of the past have effectively invaded the present."Ms Murdoch’s principal characters, bound together by friendships formed in undergraduate days at Oxford, are middle-aged, intelligent, well placed, and have no clear reason for suffering. They nevertheless torment themselves and each other with suspicions, guilts, infidelities, and interminable twittering introspections... Ms Murdoch has treated the reader to a soap opera with philosophical trimmings. Like all proper soap operas, it does not lack action." - Phoebe-Lou Adams, The AtlanticIris Murdoch made her writing debut with Under the Net in 1954. Her 26 novels include the Booker prize-winning The Sea, The Sea (1978), the James Tait Black Memorial prize-winning The Black Prince (1973) and the Whitbread prize-winning The Sacred and Profane Love Machine (1974). Iris Murdoch had a number of other novels on the long and shortlists for the Booker Prize over the years, including A Fairly Honourable Defeat which was longlisted for The Lost Man Booker Prize.

many Years Ago, One Of Their Number Writes A Political Book. Time Passes And Their Opinions About The Book Change. The Theft Of A Wife Further Embroils The Situation. Moral Indignation Must Be Separated From Political Disagreement.

publishers Weekly

the Opening Scenes Of This Charged And Potent Novel, Murdoch's 23rd, Are Flooded With Gaily Bedizened Dancers At An Oxford Midsummer Night's Ball. Couples In Shakespearean Disarray Chase And Lose One Another Through The Gardens. Gradually, A Design Becomes Visible In The Dense, Chaotic Weave Of A Slowly Gathering Fictional World. A Male And Female ``brotherhood,'' Bookishly Inclined, Give Financial Support To One Of Their Number, The Fanatic, Red-haired, Possibly Mad Writer Crimond. The Friends Worry About Crimond's Mysterious, Ongoing Book. Is He A ``maverick Marxist,'' Urging Terrorism To Revolutionize The World? Crimond, Strangely Attractive To Both Men And Women, While Scorning And Exploiting The ``old Dreamy Continuum'' Of The Brotherhood (which Resembles The Human Condition), Seems Evil Incarnate. Jean Adores Him, However, And Leaves Her Bear-like, Devoted Husband For Him. The Lovers Are Less Hilariously Depicted Than The Similarly Self-glorifying Adulterers In The Good Apprentice. Here The Satire Is Somber, The Sense Of Character Both Sinister And Muffled. But Religious Myths, Theatrics And Games Offer Salvation In The Rising Spirit Of Glee That Marks The Novel's Latter Portion. The Couples' Joyous Pairings And Recovery Of Serene, Humorous Domesticity Re-enact The Solutions Of Dark Comedy. Fertile In The Arts Of Language, Story And Philosophy, Murdoch Brilliantly Entertains The Robust Reader. 35,000 First Printing. (february)

Iris Murdoch's twenty-third novel begins at a midsummer ball at Oxford, where a group of men and women - friends since university days - have gathered. Dancing under the stars are the charismatic Gerard Hernshaw, Rose Curtland, who has loved Gerard in silence for years, Duncan Cambus and his restless wife Jean, Jenkin Roderhood, the saintly schoolmaster who is the group's moral centre, Gerard's tormented niece Tamar Hernshaw, and David Crimond, the monomaniacal Marxist genius. Years ago the friends banded together to finance a political and philosophical book to be written by Crimond. On this summer's evening, Crimond's actions touch off a crisis and by the night's end the vindictive ghosts of the past have invaded the present. Passion, hatred, a duel, a murder and a suicide pact all disturb the old world of academic reflection and weekend parties. Partners change, the book is completed, somebody has to die. Fiction,Classics A story about love and friendship and MarxismMany years ago Gerard Hernshaw and his friends “commissioned” one of their number to write a political book.Time passes and opinions change. “Why should we go on supporting a book which we detest?” Rose Curtland asks. “The brotherhood of Western intellectuals versus the book of history,” Jenkin Riderhood suggests. The theft of a wife further embroils the situation. Moral indignation must be separated from political disagreement.Tamar Hernshaw has a different trouble and a terrible secret. Can one die of shame? In another quarter a suicide pact seems the solution. Duncan Cambus thinks that since it is a tragedy, someone must die. Someone dies. Rose, who has gone on loving without hope, at least deserves a reward. A story about love and friendship and Marxism Many years ago Gerard Hernshaw and his friends commissioned one of their number to write a political book. Time passes and opinions change. Why should we go on supporting a book which we detest? Rose Curtland asks. The brotherhood of Western intellectuals versus the book of history, Jenkin Riderhood suggests. The theft of a wife further embroils the situation. Moral indignation must be separated from political disagreement. Tamar Hernshaw has a different trouble and a terrible secret. Can one die of shame? In another quarter a suicide pact seems the solution. Duncan Cambus thinks that since it is a tragedy, someone must die. Someone dies. Rose, who has gone on loving without hope, at least deserves a reward. A group of idealistic men and women, who met as students [at Oxford], later formed a society to support one of their number, a brilliant radical named David Crimond, in his efforts to write a major work tackling the big questions of history, politics, philosophy, art, and ethics. As the story opens, the group members, now middle-aged, are having qualms about Crimond and the enterprise they agreed to fund In a study of obsession, love, betrayal, and friendship, a group of friends gathers at a midsummer ball at Oxford and the actions of one of them--a radical genius named David Crimond--sets off a crisis