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4/6 points. This score indicates that the work has achieved a certain level of quality. The interesting well-drawn characters are a significant aspect that catches the reader's attention. Each character is likely to have unique traits and personalities that are vividly portrayed. Their actions, dialogues, and interactions add depth and complexity to the story. The artist or writer has put in the effort to make these characters come alive on the page or screen. Whether it's through their appearance, behavior, or the emotions they express, the well-drawn characters engage the audience and make them invested in the narrative. They may have flaws and strengths, which makes them more relatable and human. Overall, the interesting well-drawn characters contribute to the overall appeal and enjoyment of the work.

It is inevitable that when reading an Iris Murdoch novel, especially if one has read several of her others, the tendency to compare them arises.

This particular work had the typical incisive exploration into the human psyche, peeling back the layers to explain precisely what a person is feeling and the reasons behind it. It also had a sense of verisimilitude.

Within the book, there were moments of beautiful prose and deep emotion. However, the predominant feeling was that of attending an autopsy of the various characters in the story. Perhaps it was just me, but the narrative did not flow as smoothly as I had hoped from one of her books.

I also craved more roses, but that might simply be the desire to be immersed in more opulence, something that Murdoch was capable of but seemed to restrain in this instance.

Overall, while the book had its strengths, it did not quite meet my expectations in terms of the seamless flow and the level of extravagance that I have come to associate with her works.

Fanny Perronet was dead.

Hugh's wife, Fanny, passed away after 40 years of marriage. At the funeral, his former lover, Emma, showed up. Hugh went wild, longing to win her love again. Meanwhile, neighbor Mildred, with the blessing of her gay husband Humphrey, had plans for Hugh.

Hugh's son Randall was madly in love with Emma's companion/secretary Lindsey. It was unclear if Lindsey was having an affair with her employer. Randall's wife Ann yearned for Mildred's brother Felix, who, in turn, had always secretly adored her.

But it was the scheming of Miranda, Randall and Ann's teenaged daughter, that ultimately determined the outcomes of their lives, both for the better and for the worse.

The title, taken from Rupert Brooke's poem "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester", has a literal meaning related to the fact that Randall and Ann run a successful rose-growing business. However, there is more to it. In English literature, roses often have symbolic meanings. They can represent love, truth, beauty, transience, and Englishness.

In Murdoch's novel, Brooke's unofficial rose becomes a complex symbol. All the elements mentioned above play a role in the book. All the major characters, connected by an intricate web of relationships, are seeking love, and some are also in search of truth and beauty. For instance, Hugh is an art connoisseur, and Randall is obsessed with breeding the perfect rose, aside from his love for Lindsay.

The element of transience is emphasized as several characters, like Hugh, Emma, and Mildred, are elderly and face what might be their last chance at love and happiness.

The book was written in the early sixties. Murdoch perhaps dealt with sexual matters less openly than a modern writer would. She hinted at a possible lesbian relationship between Emma and Lindsay, but it was never made clear. However, she was more explicit about Humphrey's homosexuality, which is why his marriage to Mildred is empty.

Unlike some sixties writers, Murdoch was more concerned with emotional states of mind than with sexual relationships, and her ability to convey these is masterful. "An Unofficial Rose" clearly shows why she is regarded as one of the leading British novelists of the late twentieth century.

I picked up this book mainly because of the film "Iris", which presented Murdoch's life through the perspective of her companion and husband Baley. Additionally, I was intrigued by the assertion that her novels vividly depicted the "inner life" of human beings, delving deep into issues such as morality, kindness, charity, and freedom.

This story commences with a rather prosaic setting of an English village, where the lives of numerous individuals suddenly unfold during an ordinary funeral.

The narrative is presented within a realistic time-space framework, lacking the time and space shifts characteristic of Virginia Woolf's works. With a few exceptions, the inner lives of the main characters are predominantly narrated in their own individual voices. Apart from Hugh, Emma, and Mildred, the rest of the characters are rather dull, hesitant, uninteresting, or even exasperating. The shallowness of their souls and the trivial nature of their lives, despite the fine writing and philosophical musings, are disappointingly irredeemable. The younger characters, especially Miranda, are particularly disturbing and destructive. (I suspect she might be similar to Mildred in Maugham's "Of Human Bondage").

I hold no prejudice against novels that explore the quiet life and its struggles. However, one should be able to catch a glimpse of something beyond the physical limitations and lack of vivid color to illuminate human consciousness. Regrettably, in this case, most of the main characters' consciousnesses are of second-rate or worn-out quality. Eventually, one ceases to care at all.

An Unofficial Rose: An Inappropriate Title


I rated this book a 'three' as it presents a rather mediocre story. Reading through it felt like a waste of precious time. The characters within the pages seem to be in a distant realm, lacking the depth and relatability that would draw the reader in. Their destiny holds little significance to me as I simply couldn't invest myself in their outcome. There were only a few passing references to the act of growing roses, but this occupation was by no means a central focus of the story. It left me wondering, what or who exactly was the 'unofficial rose'? Was it a symbol that was meant to carry more weight but was lost in the mediocre narrative? Or perhaps it was a misnomer, an inappropriate title that failed to accurately represent the essence of the book.

As long as it took me to finish this book,

because I kept putting it off time and time again.

I found that I didn't really care for any of the characters and their fates.

However, despite all of that, I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed Murdoch's excellent writing.

Her prose was so engaging and captivating that it pulled me in and made me want to keep reading, even when I wasn't particularly interested in the story or the characters.

She has a way of using words that makes the simplest of scenes seem vivid and alive, and her descriptions are so detailed that you can almost picture everything in your mind's eye.

It's truly a testament to her talent as a writer that I could enjoy the book so much, even when I had such mixed feelings about other aspects of it.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates good writing, regardless of whether or not they are interested in the subject matter or the characters.

A Mixed Review

This book presents a rather mixed bag. On one hand, the writing is truly lovely, filled with lapidary insights into the characters that offer a unique and often profound understanding of their natures. However, on the other hand, the characters themselves are largely unlikable, which can make it difficult for the reader to fully engage with the story. Additionally, the seemingly endless travails of romantic love, which are almost entirely heterosexual, can become dull and repetitive after a while. It feels as if the author is beating a dead horse with this particular theme.

Thankfully, there are some bright spots in the book. The opening and closing chapters with Hugh are particularly well-written and engaging. These chapters manage to capture the reader's attention and hold it until the very end. Overall, while this book has its flaws, it also has some redeeming qualities that make it worth reading.

Iris Murdoch is indeed one of my all-time favorite authors.

Each year, I make it a point to read at least one of her remarkable novels.

"Unofficial Rose" is a captivating exploration of love in all its forms.

Every character in the story is deeply in love, and in their pursuit of that love, they are willing to go to great lengths.

Some become cruel, using devious tactics to obtain what they desire.

Others turn cunning and manipulative,不惜 sacrificing other precious loves along the way.

Take Tintoretto, for example.

Despite their efforts, however, nobody in the book is truly happy in their love.

Murdoch has a unique talent for beautifully unfolding the diverse and complex aspects of this most human emotion.

She manages to maintain a perfect structural balance throughout the story, making it a truly engaging read.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Unofficial Rose" and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring the intricacies of love.

It's too abstract for me.

A group of people who made the wrong choice in marriage, each one, for the ones they missed out on. A sum of money is given as a gift, which, like dominos, frees them to correct these mistakes. However, they are ultimately frustrated by the secret machinations of a kind of bystander.

Is it true that trying to be good leads to doom, while following your worst impulse is liberating?

This story seems to present a complex and somewhat paradoxical situation. The characters find themselves in a web of wrong decisions and the hope of redemption through money. But the interference of the bystander adds another layer of complication.

It makes one wonder about the nature of right and wrong, and the consequences of our actions. Are we really doomed when we strive to be good, or is there a deeper truth hidden beneath the surface?

Perhaps this story is a reminder that life is full of uncertainties and that even our best intentions may not always lead to the desired outcome.

We must be prepared to face the unexpected and learn from our mistakes, no matter how difficult it may be.

After all, it is through these experiences that we grow and become better individuals.

The first work from Iris Murdoch is truly a masterpiece that contains all of her trademark tropes.

It is very middle-class and quintessentially English, set in the post-WWII era. The characters are very white and educated, leading lives filled with the consumption of lots of whiskey.

There is a palpable sense of repressed emotion that时不时erupts into bursts of illicit passion.

Moreover, the characters engage in deep thinking, often bordering on almost paralysing self-analysis.

Despite the complex and sometimes heavy themes, the story is told with such finesse and artistry that it makes for a very good read.

One can't help but be drawn into the world that Murdoch has created and become invested in the lives and fates of her characters.

It is a work that showcases her remarkable talent as a writer and her ability to explore the human condition in all its complexity.

Overall, it is a must-read for anyone interested in literature and the exploration of the human psyche.

I've had a good experience with the non-fiction works I've read by her, thus I held high expectations for this fiction. The idea of all the understanding presented in her philosophy being brought to life through the characters in the tales seemed like a wonderful combination. However, I am a little disappointed.

Although we are provided with a wealth of information about the characters through their actions, interactions, and brief glimpses into their thought processes, they still somehow manage to feel distant. I've never been so acutely aware of a third-person narrative and the gap it creates between the reader and the characters. It felt as if I was observing them from a great distance, and since they were all filled with flaws, my sympathy for them was limited. By the end, I was so frustrated with Ann that I nearly gave up on the book in a fit of rage. This has highlighted to me that one of the major differences between the books I like and those I don't is the extent to which it feels like the author loves their characters (including the flawed and villainous ones). I prefer books where I sense that the author has some affection for all the characters in their tales, no matter how troublesome they may be. There was a certain coldness in the character depictions that put me off.

The worst offender in this regard was Humphrey's characterization. It touches on an extremely negative stereotype but never truly addresses it. At times, it seems to suggest that Humphrey isn't supposed to be seen as dangerous and that the other characters' hostile views of his sexuality are unfair, which is promising. Unfortunately, none of this is ever directly confronted or challenged. Of all the characters, Humphrey is the one whose inner thought process is exposed the least, so his intentions remain rather mysterious. This leaves a lot of room for the audience to draw the worst conclusions about his nature if they are so inclined, and nothing is done to prevent this.

It's a shame because the plot was well crafted, placing the characters in difficult situations and showcasing their reactions. There was a wide range of personalities, so their different perspectives were all of interest.

Hugh's wife's death has brought about a significant change in the family dynamics, or at least the possibility of such a change.

This event has led to a great deal of introspection among the family members. They are reflecting on their lives, their relationships, and their future. However, while there is a lot of thinking going on, there is relatively little action being taken.

The relationships between a couple of characters are also shifting. They are maneuvering or trying to maneuver those relationships in different directions. Some may be seeking closer bonds, while others may be pulling away.

Overall, Hugh's wife's death has created a complex and somewhat chaotic situation within the family. It remains to be seen how they will navigate these changes and what the future holds for them.