I just completed what was actually a reread of this book. Evidently, it implies that I liked it enough during the first reading to desire reading it again.

It is a typical Iris Murdoch novel. This means that if you're not fond of her books, you're probably not going to like this one either.

The plot goes as follows: A group of friends at Oxford decides to'sponsor' the most brilliant, poor, and eccentric member of their group to write 'the book that will change the world'. Naturally, the book will be a political one, and the writer has Marxist leanings. So far, it's either good or moderately interesting.

But the writer himself - David Crimond - is more captivating than the book that takes an inordinately long time to write. He is the only character in the book whose mind we don't get to enter, and we can only speculate about his reasons and intentions. However, the rest of the characters revolve around him - either attracted to him or hating him; or even indirectly influenced by his actions without even knowing him personally. Indeed, the concept of 'fatality' pervades the entire book, and everything is interconnected with somewhat tragic consequences. The main reason for the tragedies that occur, as I realized upon reading the book for the second time, is that the characters misinterpret the thoughts and intentions of others and mistakenly allow these imagined versions of their friends to influence their own actions. The only person who seems not to do this is David Crimond - but then again, we can't see inside his mind. But he is the one who unceremoniously crashes into everyone's existence, jolting them out of their complacency. One might even say that they are elevated to a higher state of morality and self-awareness through suffering, a recurring idea in Iris' novels (and something which I believe reveals the Dostoievski influence in her works).

The book is finally completed, and as it aims to deconstruct and bring down a system and a civilization, its destructive effects, even before it is published, start to act on those involved.

However, as I gleaned from all the Iris Murdoch novels I've read, she makes a point of ending the book on a hopeful and even happy note, for which I am extremely grateful.

The Book and the Brotherhood is a complex novel that was originally published on my blog here in June 2002.

The title implies a religious theme, similar to that of The Bell. However, this is only indirectly the case. The narrative gives the impression of being about religious ideas, but they actually play a minor role in the story.

The book in the title is a political one that Davide Crimond has been ostensibly writing for many years. His work is funded by a group of wealthy Oxford graduates, described by one of them as "part of the brotherhood of Western intellectuals". Despite no longer believing in the ideals the book was meant to uphold, their support continues until the year described in Murdoch's novel.

In this year, something occurs that disrupts the relationships among the brotherhood and their friends. One of them leaves her husband for Crimond. It is the dislocation and changing relationships this causes that Murdoch uses to reveal what each character is truly like in the first part of the novel.

In fact, it could be argued that all of Murdoch's novels are about the evolution of relationships, which perhaps explains the ebb and flow they seem to have. Here, Murdoch also uses the book to create contrast. In between dramatic events, there are some distinctly intellectual arguments about the politics of the book, defusing tension and establishing the believability of the characters extremely effectively.

About two-thirds of the way through, Murdoch springs a surprise. The arguments cease as the book is completed, and events escalate towards the melodramatic. Due to the structure of the first part of the novel, this section draws in the reader, already invested in the characters, far more easily than otherwise.

After these hectic pages reach their climax, there is another change in pace. We see how the dramatic events of the winter lead to changes in the characters and their relationships. Again, the careful structure of the novel, with the symbolism of the new life of springtime, heightens its effectiveness.

Perhaps in the end, The Book and the Brotherhood is not as gripping or thought-provoking as Murdoch's very best work, such as The Bell. Nevertheless, it is still an excellent novel by any standards and well deserving of its Booker Prize shortlisting.

Probably my favorite book ever.

I initially stopped reading it after the first 100 pages and let it sit on the shelf for about 10 months. However, the jacket of the book kept intriguing me, constantly piquing my curiosity.

So, I decided to start reading again from where I left off. As I delved back into the story, the tension kept building and building, drawing me in deeper and deeper.

I've recommended this book to several people, but unfortunately, some of them found it too dense and struggled to get through it.

Nonetheless, I still feel the need to re-read it to truly discover what it was that I liked so much about it in the first place. :0)

[These notes were made in 1990:] This is yet another Murdochian phantasmagoria of character and philosophy. It's about...oh dear me, what a dangerous way to start a sentence!

The central characters in this novel, which is better, were once a left-leaning group at university. Several of them are pitching in to support one of their number while he writes a major book. However, not only have their philosophies diverged over the many years it has taken, but the author, Crimond, has proved himself to be personally loathsome to a number of them, especially Duncan. Crimond has seduced Duncan's wife Jean in the past and does so again during the course of the novel.

Then there's Gerard, a man going through an internal crisis of his own, yet still the strongest personality in the group and their generally acknowledged leader. His closest friend, in a curious relationship that finds expression near the end of the novel, is Jenkin, the unattractive and rather solitary one. Gerard is the object of an undemonstrative but powerful yearning from Rose, whose long-dead brother Sinclair haunts most of the older characters in this book. One gets the distinct impression that much of Gerard's genuine affection for Rose is based on a stronger feeling for Sinclair.

There is also a younger generation, with Tamar being the most developed. She is a sort of niece of Gerard's and comforts Duncan after Jean's defection to Crimond. Subsequently, she has an abortion and a great deal of trauma. The climax of the plot is the near-fulfilment of a suicide pact between Jean and Crimond, and in the aftermath, someone does get killed - but it's Jenkin. It sounds like a highly sensationalistic plot, but it's somehow cushioned by the equally awe-ful and intense self-awareness of all the characters. After all, this is the kind of novel in which the characters can ask each other in the course of ordinary conversation how and why they believe in God. I loved this novel; I got completely wrapped up in it. And when I can distance myself enough, I enjoy observing how Murdoch uses the language.

There is some truly wonderful and beautiful writing in this novel.

The story revolves around a book that one person painstakingly writes but unfortunately, it fails to get published. In response, another member of the brotherhood decides to pen a book of his own devising.

The novel appears to be centered on how a group of university friends envision and plan to live their lives in the future. Some of them manage to achieve success, while others end up as failures. There are also those who simply settle for the best they can achieve.

Overall, it is a good book, but it is not without its flaws. The writing is engaging and the story has its moments of interest. However, there are certain aspects that could have been developed more fully or addressed more effectively.

Despite its imperfections, it still manages to hold the reader's attention and offer some valuable insights into the lives and dreams of its characters.

My freshman year, the English professor assigned us to read and explain "THE UNICORN".

I don't recall anything specific about that book, except that I adored it and believed I did a great job in formulating an explanation of its essence. I received an A, yet the professor said I was entirely wrong - in fact, some character symbolized Jesus and that was the crux of "THE UNICORN". I then pursued the study of finance and math - with the professor's approval!

Years later, I read and loved Murdoch's "THE BLACK PRINCE" and "JACKSON'S DILEMMA", which I also relished not understanding.

Now, I have read another one, a tale of convoluted romantic relationships (depicted as feverish 'ailments') among a group of middle-aged friends, all former philosophy scholars. It turns out Iris Murdoch was a renowned philosophy expert.

So, I am not in a position to tell anyone what "THE BOOK AND THE BROTHERHOOD" is "about". To me, it is thrilling, hysterical, and thought-provoking. I do dissent from the few plot descriptions I encountered for this one, but who cares.

I can't always keep pace with Murdoch's flashes of insight on faith, relationships, animals, or magic, but I will persevere. In the meantime, it's difficult to feel like I'm missing out, with a book as enjoyable and remarkable as this.

I first read this novel some thirty odd years ago, shortly after it was published. At that time, I was completely new to Iris Murdoch's works. I picked up this book based on a newspaper review and a recommendation from Lucy, the manager of the old branch of Dillons in Covent Garden. Lucy had the most amazing green eyes, and she could easily persuade me to buy almost anything, or even everything, in the shop.

Lucy was straightforward, and I remember being completely enthralled as I slowly made my way through the novel. (It is a large book, and Iris Murdoch's writing, while highly rewarding to the reader, is never easy to consume quickly.) Recently, I had a conversation about Iris Murdoch with one of my colleagues, who suggested that this book was probably her finest. As I have always been an advocate of [The Sea, The Sea] as one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century, I felt that I had better revisit this book to see what I thought.

I have recently been very disappointed when rereading some of my favorite novels from the past. However, there were no such worries on this occasion. This novel remains, of course, a substantial read, and it has taken me a long time to finish. But the complexities of the plot and the depth of detail in the characterisation more than compensate the reader for their effort.

As with many of Iris Murdoch's novels, the characters in this book live in a strange world, slightly removed from the ordinary hustle and bustle of life, and they operate within a dense maelstrom of moral conflict. The story opens at a Commem Ball at an unspecified Oxford College, attended by a group of alumni and their friends. They are all stunned by the revelation that David Crimond, formerly of their 'set', is also there. We then learn that some thirty odd years ago, after their graduation, the group of friends had been deeply committed to left wing politics. Among them, Crimond was the one who most clearly and passionately articulated these views, and he went on to gain a certain notoriety as a Marxist campaigner and agitator. The group of friends had promised to support him in writing a book that would synthesize his views into a new Marxist manifesto. This undertaking became known as the Crimondgesellschaft, modelled on the Musilgesellschaft which supported Robert Musil throughout the writing of his [The Man Without Qualities] series of novels.

As time passed, the group became estranged from Crimond and his views. Their political inclinations mellowed, while his remained firm. Despite this estrangement, they continued to fund the research and writing of his book, although they became increasingly alarmed about what form it might take.

However, their estrangement was not solely a result of the divergence of their respective political ethos. Some years before the novel begins, Crimond had an affair with the wife of one of the group members. Although she later returned to her husband, the bitterness caused by this incident seemed almost insurmountable. His completely unexpected appearance at the College Ball sends shockwaves through the group, with devastating consequences.

While most of the novel focuses on the interactions between the various members of the group, whose relationships are certainly intricate and unconventional, there are some key crisis points. At these moments, it seems as if Iris Murdoch has suddenly shifted gears or engaged the overdrive, and the novel suddenly leaps to a completely new level. There are also some quite shocking incidents, but although they come as a surprise at the time, they fit perfectly into the overall scheme of the novel.

I believe that Iris Murdoch wrote all her novels by hand, in a series of exercise books, and that they seldom required any significant editorial reorganisation. For a novel as complex as this, that must have been an astonishing feat of mental discipline. Of course, she was first and foremost an academic, engaged throughout her career at Oxford in the study of philosophy. She always denied that her novels were works of philosophy, but I'm not so sure. This one is filled with philosophical dialogue and exploration, although determining which views were most closely aligned with her own would be a greater challenge than I'm willing to take on.

A wonderful book by an essential author who finally seems to be entering the literature of our country. This book is truly a gem, filled with captivating stories and beautiful prose. The author's unique style and perspective make it a must-read for anyone interested in literature. It's as if she has opened a door to a new world, one that is full of wonder and discovery. The characters are vividly drawn, and the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Whether you're a seasoned reader or just starting out, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression. It's a sign that our country's literature is evolving and growing, and we can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us.

Plodding, which is something I'm observing in the later novels of Murdoch, yet it is also an exercise in control, one of Murdoch's favorite themes.

Here, she shows a greater interest in cause and effect, and where blame can originate. As we delve into the lives of upper middle class characters and their connection to an ostracized friend, a person who has not abandoned his far leftist beliefs and does not conform to the social norms of the era.

It is a shrewd exploration of what occurs when life is disrupted, when those who are content are compelled to face the reasons for their happiness and whether it is genuine. This examination provides a deeper understanding of human nature and the complex web of relationships that exist within society.

Murdoch's ability to depict these characters and their experiences with such precision and nuance makes this novel a thought-provoking read. It challenges our assumptions and forces us to consider the impact of our beliefs and actions on those around us.

Overall, it is a testament to Murdoch's skill as a writer and her ability to create engaging and intellectually stimulating works of literature.

Una maravilla absoluta. This phrase truly encapsulates the essence of something extraordinary. It implies a sense of wonder and amazement that leaves one in awe. Whether it is a natural phenomenon, a work of art, or an experience that defies description, it is a maravilla absoluta.

Imagine standing before a magnificent waterfall, the power and beauty of the cascading water taking your breath away. Or perhaps visiting a world-renowned museum and being confronted with a painting that seems to come alive before your eyes. These are the kinds of moments that can be described as una maravilla absoluta.

It is not just the visual aspects that can create this sense of wonder. It can also be a feeling, an emotion, or a connection that is so profound that it leaves an indelible mark on your soul. Una maravilla absoluta is something that you will remember for a lifetime, a moment that will stay with you and inspire you long after it has passed.

Five stars for the reward of my perseverance: I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish the book and I'm confused, fascinated and still trying to find my way in the extremely lucid fog of its form and ideas. It seems that the Devil wrote it (although maybe only God could describe all these characters with such discernment, clearly demonized and on the verge of throwing themselves into the abyss).

This book has truly been a journey. The complex web of characters and their intertwined stories kept me on the edge of my seat. The author's ability to create such a vivid and mysterious world is truly remarkable.

Despite the initial confusion, as I delved deeper into the book, I began to understand the underlying themes and messages. It made me question my own beliefs and values, and forced me to look at the world from a different perspective.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking and engaging read. It will leave you with a sense of wonder and a desire to explore more of the author's works.

**Title: The Secret History of [Subject]**

In the annals of history, there often lies a hidden side, a secret history that is not commonly known.

This secret history type beat delves into the shadows, uncovering the untold stories and hidden truths.

It peels back the layers of the official narrative, revealing the real motives, the hidden alliances, and the forgotten events.

Sometimes, these secrets are buried deep within the archives, waiting to be discovered by the curious.

Other times, they are passed down through generations, whispered in the dark corners of society.

The secret history type beat offers a unique perspective on the past, challenging our preconceived notions and expanding our understanding of the world.

It reminds us that history is not always black and white, but a complex tapestry of events and people.

By exploring the secret history, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the forces that have shaped our world and the lessons that can be learned from the past.

So, join us on this journey into the unknown, as we uncover the secret history of [Subject].