I am really enjoying this biography a great deal so far. It is not merely a simple account of her life but also offers a fair and balanced critique of her work. For those who are not familiar with her, it serves as an excellent introduction. I have not completed reading it yet, but the extracts of her writing and journals that I have come across are truly inspiring me.

Moreover, I had no idea that she was bisexual. This new discovery has added another layer of complexity and interest to her story. It makes me appreciate her even more as a person with diverse experiences and identities.

Overall, this biography has been a truly inspirational read. It has opened my eyes to a new world and has given me a deeper understanding and appreciation of this remarkable individual. I look forward to continuing to read and learning more about her life and work.

An insightful biography offers a fascinating look into the life and times of an individual. It delves deep into their experiences, achievements, and the factors that shaped them. Such a biography can provide valuable lessons and inspiration. Oh, and I sold this cover image :). This not only showcases my entrepreneurial spirit but also adds an interesting aspect to the overall story. The cover image plays an important role in attracting readers and giving them a first impression of the biography. By selling it, I have not only monetized a part of my work but also contributed to the visual appeal of the final product. It's a small but significant detail that adds to the overall success of the project.

If you are a die-hard Murdoch enthusiast, by all means, pick up this book. However, be prepared to feel frustrated enough to want to hurl it against the wall at least once. If you are just an average reader of biographies, it might be best to skip this one. The author is highly qualified, having had access to nearly every relevant document and person, and he even knew Iris herself. He has edited a collection of Murdoch's essays and is a well-known critic.

That last aspect, though, hints at his weakness. He seems to lack an appreciation for the art of biography and writes more like a specialized scholar. British scholars are notorious for their attention to detail, and as a result, we have 60 pages of endnotes along with footnotes. (As an academic myself, I can appreciate the thoroughness of their research.) Consequently, Conradi leaves an open invitation to "bring us Iris," because aside from many wonderful excerpts from her letters and journals, she remains a puzzling collage, partially hidden beneath a jumble of insignificant details.

The opening chapters, as other reviewers have pointed out, are a bit of a slog. So, I suggest taking my advice and skimming through large sections. Eventually, you'll start to catch glimpses of Iris, and the book really gets interesting when it reaches her time at Oxford and onward. Conradi is capable of presenting lives clearly, and he does provide orderly and concise accounts of her key lovers. These are some of the most readable and often illuminating sections of the book. Although I am a historian, I still managed to learn some previously unknown facts about World War II. However, some of this information seemed out of place and gave the impression that the men in her life were more important than Murdoch herself.

Here's why it's so difficult to get a handle on Iris. Conradi jumps around chronologically, starting at one point, then shifting back in time when it's not always necessary, and then jumping ahead again. He'll present lines of people's observations, some of which are contradictory, without offering any interpretation or analysis. This makes it hard to understand her effectiveness as an Oxford teacher. He also seems overly preoccupied with her sexual life, which takes up a significant portion of the book. While it's true that she enjoyed sex as a young woman without necessarily having emotional attachments, this aspect is given disproportionate attention compared to her writing life and her philosophy. Worse still, he never explores why she was attracted to, or rather enthralled by, several sadistic men. Similarly, his sudden about-face in marrying a gentle, self-effacing man also requires explanation.

He breezes through her final decades very quickly, which is strange considering he knew her during that time. Instead, he tells us too much about the lives of others, such as her former lover Canetti, and then suddenly, on one page, we learn that Iris's brain has shrunk. Perhaps he expects John Bayley's account to fill in the gaps, but as a biographer, he had a responsibility here.

That being said, there are some things I did appreciate learning from this book. I discovered that she was a serious philosopher, and understanding this helps to enhance our appreciation of her fiction. I also found it interesting that she had some odd habits and composure. The fact that she seemed oblivious to her powerful effect on others from an early age helps to explain some of her eccentric behavior. Conradi does deserve praise for placing her in context, providing details about her education at Badminton School (yes, that's the real name), how the 1930s led her to embrace Marxism, her studies in Classics and then "Mods and Greats" at Oxford when women were still not fully welcome, her volunteer work during the war, and her challenges to Oxford philosophy after the war. This material helps to ground her in a specific place and time, which is essential for modern readers.

I kept wondering if I was missing something in my struggle to make sense of the constant shifts from clarity to confusion, the mixed chronology, and the excessive backstory on minor individuals. As a critic, he does help by connecting the characters' personas to possible real-life people and also to her philosophy. Indeed, I'll keep the book as a reference, but I'm looking forward to a more deft and straightforward presentation of her complex personality and immense intellect. It won't be an easy task, but Conradi has at least laid the foundation.

Peter J. Conradi has indeed penned a biography that is nothing short of comprehensive. It is a must-read for all aficionados of one of England's most preeminent and influential novelists in the latter half of the twentieth century.

"Iris Murdoch: A Life" reflects that the subject granted the biographer permission to write this book and then facilitated the task by providing unprecedented access to new and unpublished material, as well as through interviews.

Conradi's cradle-to-grave coverage encompasses the influence and context related to the creation of each of Murdoch's 26 novels. However, readers might be excused for having some concern that Conradi doesn't delve into Iris's writing life and her first novel until 300 pages (halfway) into the book.

Thankfully, he makes up for it in the remaining half with a painstaking job of connecting the dots between events, experiences, and literary work. It becomes evident that Murdoch's writing life was inextricably intertwined with her daily life. In fact, she desired people to view her life as a seamless integration of all its parts.

Before her first novel, Murdoch was almost deliberately preparing herself to be a writer. She was an eager pupil at Badminton School and equally energetic and conscientious as an undergraduate at Somerville College, Oxford University.

Murdoch was deeply intrigued by people, the more diverse the better. Those in conversation with her would notice that she gave her full attention to her interlocutors. She was an intense listener, remaining quiet, understanding, and then posing probing questions. Additionally, she took people at face value in a non-judgmental manner.

Murdoch was also an altruistic and compassionate woman. She showed kindness to all living things, from the insect world to her extensive network of friends. One of her most fulfilling jobs was during the post-war period when she spent several years with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

It was a heartbreaking yet satisfying task of helping to bring stability to displaced people and refugees and engineering a new start in life for many.

Murdoch herself would admit that she was not physically beautiful. She had plain looks, generally untidy hair, and a carelessness about her wardrobe. Her figure tended towards a heavyset build, and her gait when walking was not entirely ladylike.

Nevertheless, it must have been clear to her that she had the ability to attract both men and women. Right up until her marriage in 1956, she was seldom without a lover, with one-night stands intermingled with longer-term relationships.

Conradi does a persuasive job of demonstrating how every aspect of Murdoch's life contributed to her work. She was a towering intellectual, multilingual, well-versed in both ancient and contemporary philosophy of the 1940s, and an academic high-achiever in school and at Oxford University.

She even met and conversed with philosophers of her day, such as Sartre and Wittgenstein. She was religious enough to "worry about her soul," yet did not believe in God. Interestingly, she was a member of the Communist Party for many years before switching her membership to the Labor Party.

Iris Murdoch was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease approximately two years before her death in 1999. Although I have not read all of her work, Conradi's magnificent biography provides a strong incentive to begin filling in all the gaps.

With this, one might consider oneself Murdoctrinated. It is a truly fascinating book, yet the writing style is a bit too much like engaging in a conversation with a distracted narrator. Frequently, the chapters leap around in both time and idea, failing to clearly establish the connections between them. There is an abundance of information within this book. However, I do have the sense that I have grasped something of her philosophy, personality, and the intentions behind her writing. In that regard, I feel like a more perceptive Murdoch reader. Just as with her writing, I find myself lingering on various individuals, looking them up separately, and attempting to gain a deeper understanding of the context, history, and so on. It's as if I am drawn into a web of ideas and characters that she has skillfully woven, and I am eager to explore every nook and cranny.

Brilliant! This word alone seems to encapsulate all that is wonderful and remarkable.

But what more need be said?

Perhaps we could elaborate on the many ways in which something can be brilliant. It could refer to a person's intelligence, a creative idea, a stunning performance, or a beautiful piece of art.

In any case, the term "brilliant" implies a level of excellence that is truly outstanding.

And on this day, 10.16, it feels especially appropriate to use this word to describe something or someone.

Whether it's a new discovery, a great achievement, or simply a moment of inspiration, let's celebrate all that is brilliant in our lives.

Because when we take the time to appreciate the brilliance around us, we are reminded of the amazing potential that exists within each and every one of us.

So here's to all the brilliant things in life!

I gave it my absolute best shot, but unfortunately, I really couldn't bring myself to finish this particular work.

I've never come across a biography that felt so strikingly similar to an English Lit essay. It seemed to lack that crucial element of providing genuine insights into the real human being who was at the very core of the book.

Strangely enough, it also didn't seem to devote much time and attention to exploring Iris' writing process. While it might be a highly worthy and respected tome for scholars in the field,

unfortunately, it simply wasn't the right fit for me. I'm afraid I had to conclude that this particular biography didn't meet my expectations or capture my interest in the way I had hoped.

Perhaps for those with a more academic bent and a specific interest in the subject matter, it might hold more value and appeal. But for me, it fell short in several key areas.