This short novel holds a unique place in my mind, lying somewhere between “The Great Gatsby” and “Rebecca.” It presents a neurotic male narrator, along with some truly extraordinary characters. There is a large, spooky manor house, with one person chasing another through overgrown paths to a watery grotto. A fatal fire occurs, and there are inconceivable metamorphoses of characters.

I was completely enamored by the prose and the way Murdoch skillfully concocts the atmosphere in each scene. For example, phrases like “a greater blackness breathed at me from within,” “my shadow, thin and darkest blue,” “the old stuffy foxy darkness of the hall,” “the innocent radiance which I remembered shone like a surface mist,” and “Otto rose between us like a giant log released from the sea bed” add a touch of magic and mystery.

There is a great deal of build-up in interest regarding what transpired in the family before the narrator returns after a six-year absence. However, unfortunately, we never discover several crucial details. We don't know what caused the narrator to leave in the first place, what happened to make him such a loner, what was so beastly about the mother, what kind of relationship the mother had with the Italian girl, why the daughter is so hysterical, what it is about the apprentice that women can't resist, and why the Italian girl, who is clearly quite sophisticated, stays in the house.

So, yes, I was particularly disappointed in the resolution. Moreover, I could have done without some of the (melo)drama in the last few chapters. Nevertheless, my interest has been piqued, and I will definitely try other Murdoch novels.

I have a deep affection for Iris Murdoch, yet this particular work showcases all of her most prominent flaws and lacks the typical redeeming qualities that usually endear her writing to me.

For instance, the characters are improbably wealthy, with one having a vast garden complete with a river and even a waterfall in their backyard. There is an abundance of melodrama that sometimes feels overdone. The portrayal of really dirty and unappealing men living in domestic filth is rather off-putting. Take Otto, for example, who is found nonchalantly eating a raw onion with his extremely hairy hands at the end. Of course he is.

The predictability of the plot is also a letdown. Can you guess what will occur after the narrator hastily leaves the house, having just noticed a burning log has fallen on the carpet? I surely could. Additionally, the appearance of a pair of Russian Jews, a common occurrence in her novels, is here presented as a rather crude caricature compared to, say, in "The Time of the Angels". And it seems that everybody in this story is artistic, which feels a bit forced.

Overall, it was a somewhat disappointing read. And then, to add to my disappointment, right at the very end, there are untranslated chunks of text, which is my pet peeve. I am now on a sort of crazy crusade against this practice. (No spoilers, but I think this particular bit means, 'we'll see - don't be afraid', if that's of any help to anyone.) So I deducted another star for that.

A dysfunctional family drama that is constructed with steadily intensifying yet restrained suspense is truly captivating.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, with each scene adding another layer of tension.

What makes this drama even more remarkable are the sensory descriptions that are peppered throughout. The vivid details of the setting, the characters' expressions, and the emotions they convey all combine to create a truly immersive experience.

I was completely blown away by the way the author was able to bring this dysfunctional family to life and make me feel as if I was a part of their story.

It is a masterful work of art that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Even though this is a novel, I felt like I was reading a stage play and vividly envisioned it as such, including the sets, the costumes, and the characters' entrances and exits.

Written by Iris Murdoch, this short novel tells the story of a British family. They are grappling with grief, haunting memories, difficult problems, and sex gone awry.

Edmund, a 40-something single man, has been estranged from his family. After the death of his mother, Lydia, he returns to the family home. It's a big, ugly Victorian rectory in the north of England. Living on the estate are his brother Otto, Otto's wife Isabel, and their daughter Flora. Flora is home for the summer from a technical college. Otto is a sculptor, mostly making gravestones now. He has hired a series of young men as apprentices over the years. The current one is David, who lives in the summer house on the property with his sister Elsa. They are Russian Jews with an interesting backstory. Maggie, the last in a series of "Italian girls", once cared for Otto and Edmund when they were boys. After the boys grew up, she stayed on to care for Lydia.

Edmund is reluctantly drawn into a soap-opera-like family drama. Lydia was universally disliked, and no one is mourning her death much. Otto and Isabel have marital issues and are each having an affair. Beautiful, young Flora seems naïve at first, but we soon find out she's not as innocent as she appears. Maggie serves the family and keeps their many appalling secrets, but she also has a powerful, knockout secret of her own that is eventually revealed.

There isn't a complex plot, but the many sexual escapades are both surprising and humorous. Edmund claims he wants nothing to do with his family and keeps saying he'll leave on the next train. However, he also acts as if he can solve everyone's problems, which leads to distressing and catastrophic consequences. In the end, there is a quite dramatic conclusion that is so gruesome and tragic that the characters are forced to face their own difficult problems. But there is also forgiveness and redemption.

(I checked! It was made into a play in 1967 and had a successful run of more than 300 performances at Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End.)