I don't know where this author has been all of my reading life.

Definitely not in my library, but what a discovery it is.

Iris Murdoch writes with such acuity of perception and such beauty.

Her words seem to dance on the page, captivating the reader from the very first sentence.

For me, this novel revolved around a dynamic tension between fragility and strength, peril and survival.

At any point in the plot, which element was dominant was ambiguous, and deliciously so.

The characters are complex and multifaceted, their emotions and motives constantly evolving.

Murdoch's ability to explore the human psyche with such depth and nuance is truly remarkable.

As I turned the pages, I found myself completely immersed in the story, unable to put the book down.

This is a novel that will stay with me for a long time, a testament to the power of great literature.

I can't wait to explore more of Iris Murdoch's works and see what other treasures she has in store for me.

I have been reading this for almost 3 years. To be honest, it's safe to say that I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected.

It's quite strange because Goodreads indicates that I read it twice, but in fact, I only read it once. Maybe there was some confusion or error in the tracking.

Despite spending such a long time with this, it just didn't capture my interest fully. There were moments when I found it a bit dull or unengaging.

However, everyone has different tastes in reading, and perhaps others might have a completely different experience with it. But for me, it wasn't the most enjoyable read over these 3 years.

I'm now looking forward to finding something that will truly captivate me and make the reading experience more fulfilling.

So far, any Iris Murdoch book is an excellent one. It is well-written and filled with interesting characters and shifting relationships. This is my third of her books. Although it isn't my favorite among the three, it can't help but receive 4 stars because it is so well-written and really makes you think.

In this story, most of the major characters are in love with someone other than the one they are supposed to be in love with. There are some characters who actively work to manipulate the lives of others, while others are oblivious to those types of machinations. There is farce in this story, and it is set in a time when divorce was scandalous and everyone was supposed to be straight, or at least keep up appearances.

The title is taken from a line of a poem by Rupert Brooke - "Unkept about those hedges blows, an English unofficial rose." Wikipedia says about the title that the novel's title and epigraph are taken from Rupert Brooke's poem The Old Vicarage, Grantchester. In the poem, written in Berlin in 1912, Brooke contrasts his beloved English countryside with the German city around him. The disciplined German tulips "bloom in rows", unlike the "unkempt" wild roses in England. Along with its obvious relevance to the rose nursery setting of the book, the title refers to the formlessness of Ann Peronett's character. The lack of self-assertiveness that Randall criticizes as making her "as messy and flabby and open as a bloody dogrose" is also part of what makes her a virtuous but, to some readers, a dull character.

I wonder if the title may also refer to love sprouting up in the hedges, where it is unexpected and socially unwanted, but there it blooms anyway.

A very complex and intellectually challenging novel. I decided to read this particular work as it is extensively discussed in Imagining Characters: Six Conversations About Women Writers: Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, Willa Cather, Iris Murdoch, and Toni Morrison.

Undoubtedly, Byatt and Sodre have a keen eye and notice many allusions and references that escaped my attention. For instance, they point out that this novel is a reworking of Mansfield Park. However, I do share their sentiment that the characters don't quite come alive. It seems that Murdoch was attempting to delve into something profoundly philosophical, but perhaps she didn't fully succeed, at least not in creating an entirely enjoyable novel.

She is exploring the intricate nature of love and art. As quoted in the Byatt/Sodre book from Murdoch's essay \\"The Idea of Perfection\\", \\"Art and morals are, with certain provisos....one. Their essence is the same. The essence of both of them is love. Love is the perception of individuals. Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself if real.\\" There is indeed a great deal to ponder upon in this book. Nevertheless, the three stars I gave indicate that, for me personally, it didn't quite reach the heights I expected and fell a bit flat.

Murdoch doesn't simply engage with love triangles; instead, she delves into the complex realm of love heptagons. In this story, everyone seems to desire something or someone else. However, the majority of them do not achieve their desires, and even those who do are not content with what they obtain. The characterisation in this work is as proficient as in the other seven novels I have read by her. People's actions or lack thereof are always in accordance with their unique personalities. But when compared to works like "The Bell", "The Black Prince", or "The Sea, The Sea", which feature totemic central oddballs, this particular novel lacks a distinct focal point. In those books, one can sense that Murdoch truly cherished, albeit in a somewhat sadistic manner, her main character. Here, she treats all the characters with the same amused tolerance.

Love and freedom, two profound and often debated concepts. Is love truly freedom? And vice versa, is freedom love? Can either of them be bought? Or can they be held and possessed?

I was quite fond of Hatfield the cat. Once so cherished, he goes wild after his mistress passes away. He is spotted in the fields, devouring baby rabbits and lapping up the milk left out for the hedgehogs. Bad Hatfield, yet in a strange way, oh so good Hatfield.

And then there are the people. Some are in love, some are out of love, and many don't even know where they stand in the realm of love. They try to drink their tea, arrange flowers, and keep an eye out for Hatfield.

This is an enjoyable book. At times, it can be a little too much like a soap opera for my taste. However, it's best to just let go and see where Murdoch takes you in this engaging discussion on the pursuit of "beauty". It makes you think about the complex nature of love, freedom, and the search for something truly meaningful.

Iris Murdoch is an extremely accomplished author, and her latest novel is truly sensational.

It delves deep into the intricacies of difficult family relationships, exploring the hidden emotions and secrets that lie beneath the surface.

Throughout the story, there are surprises galore, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat and eager to discover what will happen next.

As always, Murdoch's descriptions of both people and places are wonderful, painting a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

Whether it's the detailed portrayal of a character's facial expressions or the lush description of a beautiful landscape, her writing is a joy to read.

This novel is a must-read for anybody interested in complex plots and characters. It will take you on a journey through the lives of its characters, making you laugh, cry, and everything in between.

So, if you're looking for a great read that will keep you entertained from start to finish, look no further than this amazing novel by Iris Murdoch.

I absolutely adored this book!

The premise, which involves various people of different ages falling in and out of love with one another under diverse circumstances, might not initially sound all that thrilling. However, this is no ordinary romance novel like those from Mills and Boon. This is Murdoch's work, and she is truly in top form here.

She has crafted some incredibly real, three-dimensional characters. Each character is brought to life with such vividness that they seem to step right off the pages.

Moreover, Murdoch provides acute insights into their motives, hopes, and fears. It's as if she has a magical key that unlocks the deepest recesses of their hearts and minds.

As a result, the reading experience is both addictive and deeply satisfying. It's the perfect choice for anyone who is endlessly fascinated by and mystified by the complex and ever-changing human condition.

This book is a true gem that will leave readers captivated and longing for more of Murdoch's masterful storytelling.

SUMMARY - Hateful people are like ice rattling in a chilled glass in their ribcages.

Murdoch usually creates unlikeable or unsympathetic characters, yet manages to pique my interest in the outcome. However, I struggled with An Unofficial Rose. By the midpoint, I wanted to send all the characters packing from their dreary manor house lives. By the end, I wished for the secateurs to snip them off at the necks.

Everyone seems to have unrequited or complicatedly requited love interests in others. Affairs bloom like weeds, and Murdoch appears to envision a world where both people and plants are constantly hungry for fertilization. Meanwhile, their hearts rattle around in rib-cages like ice in a glass. There is often a disconnect in Murdoch between the rampant love-making and the rose-prickly cuttingness of her characters.

I have a hunch that there is a subset of Murdoch novels that may not appeal to me - those centered on love triangles (and the ethics of love, such as The Sandcastle, Bruno's Dream) rather than self-actualization (such as The Sea..., Flight from the Enchanter). I'm not sure where The Bell (my favorite so far) or The Black Prince fit in, but I suspect it may be because they had more sympathetic figures trying to do the right thing. In contrast, '...Rose...' presented the philosophy of love as told by people I couldn't believe were capable of love in any case.

The sentences themselves were well-written, but the whole, although not stinking, I found sour by any other name.

There is a moment in this book when one of the characters makes a profound statement. “Sometimes I see no point in going on. We're all going to be blown up soon anyway. I'd rather die young in my own way than die slowly of radiation sickness.” This line jolted me back to the twentieth century, as the book was first published in 1962.

Interestingly, if you were to remove this one reminder that the characters are living under the shadow of the bomb, you could easily mistake the story for that of a family in the twenties. And if you took away the cars and phones, it could even be set in the Edwardian or Victorian eras without anyone noticing much difference. This is a comedy of manners that truly gives Shakespeare a run for his money.

Once I reached the third chapter, I realized there were too many characters for me to keep straight in my head. So, I went back to the beginning and wrote out my own dramatis personae. As I continued reading, I started to identify the main characters. There's Hugh Peronett, who has just been widowed, his son Randall, Randall's wife Ann and their daughter Miranda. Then there's Penn, another grandchild staying with Randall at their country house, Grayhallock. The Finches, Humphrey, his wife Mildred, and Mildred's handsome younger brother Colonel Felix Meecham are the closest neighbors. Ann's spiritual adviser is the rector Douglas Swann, and his wife Clare is a bit of a fly in the ointment. There's also the novelist Emma Sands, a childhood friend of Fanny's (Hugh's late wife), and her companion Lindsay Rimmer.

The web of relationships is complex. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone has been or is currently in love, thinks they're in love, might be in love, or is at least infatuated with someone else in the cast. Humphrey has a crush on Penn, who is besotted by Miranda, who is devoted to Felix, who is in love with Ann. Ann would like to return Felix's affections but is loyal to her husband, even though he's openly courting Lindsay. Meanwhile, Emma is being pursued by Hugh, and Mildred is chasing Hugh because she knows about Humphrey's predilections.

The women in this story are the ones to watch. They range from amateur to master manipulators. The men, on the other hand, are mostly saps, with the exception of Randall, who is both a sap and a cad, and Felix, who is an officer and a gentleman (but alas, not Richard Gere) and also a bit of a sap.

At first, I wasn't sure what to make of this book. I expected it to be serious, but Murdoch mostly makes her points through humor. Sometimes it's subtle, like when she repeatedly mentions Felix's “very dark blue Mercedes.” Other times, it borders on the Wodehousian, like the chapter when Hugh seeks Mildred's advice about Emma while completely oblivious to Mildred's own feelings for him. Beneath all the humor, there's a thoughtful study of love in all its forms, not all of which are pretty or rational.

The title comes from a poem by Rupert Brooke, and there's an apparent subtitle that was missing from my copy. The story takes place mostly indoors, so the garden in the title is clearly metaphorical, making us think of plays like A Midsummer Night's Dream. The fact that Randall and his family grow roses is just a contrivance, and at times the plot feels a bit contrived too. But that's the nature of this kind of story, and it doesn't mean Murdoch is bad at plotting. In fact, the ending is believable and not too neat, and not everyone finds love and gets married. There's the possibility of love on the horizon for some, but mostly not with the person they've been after, which is true to real life.

The book is dated, but then again, so are Jane Austen and Shakespeare. We should get over it. At times, Murdoch is unnecessarily wordy, especially in some of the interior monologues, and she also over-describes. But I suspect this has more to do with when the book was written. If the descriptions start to tire you out, just skip to the end of the paragraph. These are minor objections, and I'm eager to move on to one of her better-known books.

A quite typical yet relatively realistic Murdoch novel.

As is the norm, it is set in a world inhabited by privileged individuals, with themes of interpersonal intrigue running throughout.

Implied within are various erotic attractions, even a hint of paedophilia.

It is an enjoyable and well-written novel within its restricted scope.

Oddly enough, like Murdoch's works often are, it has a dated feel, yet without being stuffy or overly written.

The prose flows smoothly, although there are occasional syntactical oddities.

Not a great deal of action occurs, but it manages to hold one's attention, if not necessarily generating excitement.

Overall, it is a novel that has its own charm and merits within the Murdochian literary landscape.

Thank God for Iris Murdoch, a truly remarkable and intelligent writer.

She has an uncanny ability to delve deep into the complex fabric of human character, laying bare its myriad traits, both the good and the not-so-good.

I had the pleasure of reading "An Unofficial Rose" during the Covid-19 Stay at Home period.

What a refreshing and novel experience it was! The very first sentence, "Fanny Peronett was dead," immediately grabs the reader's attention and sets the stage for an engaging story.

As the narrative unfolds, we are introduced to an entertaining cast of characters who embark on a journey through their own desires and disappointments.

All the while, we wonder: What are they reacting to? Is it grief? Newfound freedom? The joy of living?

This book truly deserves five stars.

And now, I'm eager to move on to the next Iris Murdoch book.

She has written quite a few, so I have a lot to look forward to.

I can't wait to explore more of her literary masterpieces and gain further insights into the fascinating world of human nature.