The Flight from the Enchanter delves deep into the intricacies of numerous characters and the web of intersections that occur due to their acquaintance with the mysterious press baron, Mischa Fox.

Fox, a divisive presence in their lives, seems to epitomize the concept of power in different ways for each individual. To Nina the dressmaker, he elicits fear. For Annette Cockeyne, the privileged debutante, he represents the alluring charm of an absent father figure. Frustrated scholar Peter Saward views him as a puzzle to be解开. John Rainsborough, the henpecked civil servant, aspires to be like him. Former lover Rosa Keepe tries to keep him at a distance but is always wary of losing her independence if she gets too close. Her protective brother Hunter loathes him.

The Mischa in the story is like a blank slate to the reader, mirroring our personal perceptions of how we interact with power. To some, he is irresistibly appealing, while to others, through the calculating guise of his deputy Calvin Blick, he is a brute force who believes the end justifies the means.

Ultimately, Fox is misunderstood, and it is through the characters whose lives he holds sway over that we begin to understand him and them. The masculine power embodied by Fox is allegorically counterbalanced by his desire to possess the sufragette journal, Artemis. Partially owned by Rosa Keepe and edited by her brother Hunter, the journal symbolizes Fox's attempt to subdue the feminine.

Like the deity it is named after, the Artemis represents the fearless feminine, the huntress who punished Agamemnon and slew Orion. In this construct, Hunter represents Apollo, and Blick represents the scorpion. We catch glimpses of a Classical tragedy through Murdoch's allegories, and the novel takes on the symbolic significance of how feminine power and reason, personified by Rosa, are in a state of constant change due to their proximity to the masculine.

As such, the author creates a mid-twentieth-century snapshot of feminism through a classical lens, and Saward's摆弄 with the meanings of ancient texts takes on the symbolism of the timelessness of this struggle and the futility of trying to untangle it from a purely academic perspective. Rosa never fully resolves this question within herself, but she makes significant progress towards a better understanding through experience and reason.

Whether masculine power is represented by sexual possession in her relationship with the Lusiewicz brothers, through the subtle influences of Mischa Fox, the impotent adulation of Saward, or the desire to protect as Hunter attempts, Rosa must ultimately chart her own course if she is to reclaim her power.

Surprisingly modern, unexpectedly touching, alternately humorous and tragic, The Flight from the Enchanter is a thoroughly enjoyable read that might just make you a little wiser about the eternal dance between men and women.

Iris Murdoch’s second novel, which was published in 1956, contains several uproarious scenes and one truly hilarious character named Mrs Wingfield. If you are on familiar terms, you can call her Camilla. However, this novel is much darker than her first one, Under the Net. It features a great deal of sexual, moral, and spiritual blackmail and mayhem, just as I remembered from reading Murdoch thirty years ago.

For now, I am content to continue reading Murdoch’s works in order. I have only ordered #3 The Sandcastle, which is set to arrive next week, and I already read #4 The Bell those thirty years ago. So, it presents a conundrum: should I wait according to chronology, nurse old wounds, or move on to #5, A Severed Head, which sounds even more bloody by Murdoch’s standards. In any case, it’s probably not a bad set of rabbit holes to fall through in any order.

A fuller review of this one may follow. It truly deserves better than it has received. She is more than just a guilty pleasure, and The Flight from the Enchanter surpasses the sum of its parts.

"Never mind what they establish!" said Rosa.

"So all your work was for nothing, for nothing!" She spoke half angrily, half in grief.

It seemed as if all the efforts and hard work that had been put in had come to naught. Rosa couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment and frustration.

She had expected so much from the establishment, but now it felt like it was all in vain.

The thought of all the time and energy wasted made her heart heavy.

However, deep down, she knew that she couldn't give up.

There had to be a way to turn things around and make a difference.

Despite the setback, Rosa was determined to keep fighting for what she believed in.

She would not let the actions of others deter her from achieving her goals.

With a newfound sense of resolve, she took a deep breath and prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

Yup.

*WARNING - You're about to head into Spoiler Town, please turn around if this is not your intended destination*

*Disclaimer - this is required reading for university*

Let me share something with you, dear random reader who has stumbled upon this review. There is truly no greater sensation than perusing a truly dreadful book that all your university classmates despise simultaneously. We can't precisely pinpoint what made us loathe "The Flight from the Enchanter" to such an extent. It was an absolute struggle to get through. The ambiguity within this book was excruciating to read and follow, and this is coming from someone who generally enjoys ambiguity, but not to the extreme that Murdoch employs in this novel.

The characters, an endless procession that all seemed to blend into one, appeared two-dimensional to me. I frequently found myself losing track of who was who and how one individual was connected to another.

And the ENDING?!

I'll cease now, as I'm certain my complaints about this novel are officially starting to irritate you, anonymous reader. Feel free to give this book a try, if only to understand why my fellow English Lit students and I detest it so very, very much.