Somewhere on page 3.5. A rather strange impression from the book.

On the one hand, there is a feeling that I still haven't understood why all this was necessary, and at the same time I couldn't stop reading: there was something enchanting and attractive in all this painful absurdity.

The story seems to be leading me down a path that I'm not quite sure where it will end.

The characters and their actions are so unusual and yet, there is a certain allure that keeps pulling me in.

Maybe it's the mystery that surrounds everything, or perhaps it's the way the author has crafted this world that makes it impossible to look away.

Whatever the reason, I find myself completely immersed in this book, despite the fact that I don't fully understand it.

It's a strange and wonderful experience, and I can't wait to see where it will take me next.

This story showcases the author's remarkable writing skill.

The complexity of the characters is truly impressive. Their dialogues are engaging and the descriptive passages, which are abundant, add a rich layer to the narrative. The attention to details is also remarkable, all of which demonstrate the high level of Murdoch's wordsmithing.

However, excellent writing does not always guarantee a satisfying story. I must admit that I found this book rather uninteresting. There was a lot of talk and profound thoughts, but they seemed to lead nowhere. The story failed to meet my expectations. I persisted in reading only because I was curious to know where the story would take me.

Thankfully, not until the last quarter of the story did I finally find it interesting. On the positive side, the story is filled with fascinating observations of human behavior. These insights into the human psyche make the book worth reading, despite its initial shortcomings.

Overall, while the writing is top-notch, the story could have been more engaging from the start. Nevertheless, it does offer some valuable perspectives on human nature that are worth pondering.

Here is the expanded version:

A long, long, long book that delves into the lives of moneyed Brits who seem to have not enough to do. It explores their luxurious lifestyles, filled with opulent mansions, expensive cars, and designer clothing. However, beneath the surface of their wealth and privilege, there is a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction. These individuals, despite having financial abundance, struggle to find meaning and purpose in their lives. The book examines their attempts to fill the void, whether through socializing, traveling, or engaging in various hobbies. It also delves into the complex relationships within this affluent society, highlighting the envy, jealousy, and competition that often exist. Overall, this long book provides a fascinating insight into the world of moneyed Brits and the challenges they face in finding true fulfillment.

Murdoch, without a doubt, is a talented writer. His work is filled with some truly funny passages that can bring a smile to the reader's face. Additionally, the descriptive passages of the town and the people are vivid and detailed, painting a clear picture in the reader's mind. However, the essence of the story lies in the fact that it is about people behaving badly and treating others poorly. Family is indeed a complicated concept, and the relationships that bind us are multi-layered, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Nevertheless, in the end, I found myself unable to relate to the story on a deep level or become truly engaged. With over 600 pages, it can be quite a daunting task to get through.

I am a diehard Murdoch fan, and yet, I simply couldn't fully engage with this particular work. In fact, I ended up skimming through the pages, which is something I have never done before with any of her novels. It was a rather strange experience for me.

I have decided to file this book under "Return To" for a future re-read. I suspect that perhaps it's not the fault of the wonderful Iris Murdoch herself, but rather something on my end. Maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind when I first picked up this book.

I truly believe that upon a second reading, I will be able to appreciate the depth and beauty that Murdoch always manages to infuse into her works. I'm looking forward to giving this book another chance and uncovering the hidden gems that I might have missed the first time around.

Another five-star effort from my favourite writer. It has the potential to ascend to the top of the pack as one of her all-time favourites, right up there with The Bell and The Sea, The Sea. This is truly such a gorgeous, cutting, cynical, and beautiful read. No one can create characters or a place quite like Murdoch. In this novel, with its extravagant and slightly haunting local spa, you are completely engulfed. The characters are both hysterically funny and tragic, and everything in between. They are bitter, wistful, disappointed, giddy, emotional, priggish, and much more. Murdoch truly does incorporate the whole human condition into her novels. I am a die-hard fan, and each book I read of hers just seems to reaffirm why that is the case.

I officially adore Iris Murdoch.

Her works are truly remarkable as the characters she creates are excellent examinations of human nature. It's quite astonishing how I find myself identifying with almost all of them, whether they are the ones I wholeheartedly root for or those I despise.

What's more, I love that in her novels, the setting itself often takes on the role of a character, adding another layer of depth and complexity to the story.

And when she adds an overt (albeit limited) examination of philosophy to the already wonderful job she does, it becomes simply irresistible.

There's also great potential for comparative essays between this work and other literary masterpieces such as Crime and Punishment (George) and Les Misérables (John Robert about Hattie vs. Jean Valjean about Cosette).

If, you know, you're still in AP English, exploring these comparisons could lead to some truly fascinating insights and discussions.

This book quickly rose to becoming one of my favourites over the course of my perusal.

I saw that one of the characters in another one of the (Russian, I think) novels I was reading was reading an Iris Murdoch novel, so I picked this one up to understand the mindset the author was trying to convey. Oh... wow.

This is one of those books that demand your thought far away from the text. The intricacies of the relations between the characters fascinated me.

It's truly remarkable how a simple mention in another book could lead me to discover this gem. As I delved deeper into the story, I found myself completely engrossed. The way Murdoch crafts the characters and their relationships is nothing short of brilliant.

Each character has their own unique personality and motives, and the web of interactions between them keeps you on the edge of your seat.

It makes you think about human nature and how complex our relationships can be.

Funny the way people can be, indeed. This book has opened my eyes to a whole new world of literature and has left a lasting impression on me.

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

An odd novel indeed, but then again, which book by Iris Murdoch isn't odd?

Ennistone, a village outside of London, is steeped in ancient lore and mythic properties due to an ancient spring/baths where its residents regularly gather. The novel presents an ensemble cast in Ennistone that revolves around a returning philosopher, John Robert Rozanov. He is Ennistone's only "celebrity" and tends to leave a trail of chaos in his wake.

The plot mainly focuses on three brothers: George, Brian, and their younger half-brother Tom. George is demonic, almost psychotic, with a desire to kill anyone who dares to challenge his fragile authority on almost anything. He is a rotten person, filled with anger and resentment throughout the story. The novel begins with him attempting to kill his wife Stella by driving their car into a canal after an argument. He then complains about Ennistone and tries to win respect from Rozanov, who had rejected him years ago as a budding philosophy student.

His brother Brian is angry and abusive towards his wife and mother, and the youngest brother Tom may be in love with his college pal Emma, who may or may not be gay. Tom is given a proposition by Rozanov to court and marry Harriet Maynell, his granddaughter. Harriet is a doll-like waif, kept sheltered from the world by her domineering grandfather Rozanov because he is in love with her himself. Diane, a former prostitute, is George's mistress. She spends her days longing for George, waiting for the day he will leave his wife and run away with her to Spain.

All the sordid affairs in the story are told to the reader by a mysterious narrator known only as "N."

It is a long novel, yet captivating throughout. However, I would not recommend it to readers who have not read anything else by Iris Murdoch. There is a hurdle at the beginning of the novel that may cause uninitiated readers to give up. It is a book that requires patience. And it contains characters that you don't particularly want to support. Still, there is enough humanity in them that you end up grudgingly hoping that everyone gets their act together and that everything works out for them.

Of all the Iris Murdoch novels I have taken on during our Murdoch a month challenge, this particular one is among only about 3 or 4 that I had read before. However, I had absolutely no recollection of it either before or while reading it this time around. I can't claim that it is my favorite – or anywhere near being a favorite Murdoch. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read, and at times, it was really quite a page-turner.

I found John Robert to be the absolute vilest of her characters so far, perhaps except for Julius in A Fairly Honourable Defeat. There was just something utterly repulsive about him and his strange relationship with his granddaughter. Many typical Murdoch themes were present, such as a good deal of philosophical ramblings, which is not surprising given the title. But I did grow a bit tired of the constant inward examination of everyone's motives and preoccupations.

I really liked the character of Gabriel. She is just crazy enough to be likable. Also, Adam and his adorable dog were great. The dog was my favorite character, much more likable than most of Murdoch's humans, who are all just a bit peculiar, even the nice ones. As always, there were several characters developing unlikely passions for one of the other characters. It's amazing how often IM has some repellently ugly bully being mooned over by at least two other seemingly sane and normal people. Brian was vile, and George was pathetic, but then there has to be at least one really pathetic male in an Iris Murdoch novel.

This was not an easy book for me to engage with.

The first prelude was captivating, and I wished to follow that story instead of enduring the overly long second prelude, which provided more details about Ennistone than I cared to know. Murdoch's writing style can be heavy-handed, perhaps more acceptable in the 1980s than in today's digital age.

However, I would not have wanted to miss some of her outstanding descriptions. For example, when Tom enters the bowels of Ennistone spa:

"A piece of concrete wall, wet and grey, appeared on his left. At least it seemed a wall, then turned out to be a vast pillar, beyond which the view was closed by two huge vertical pipes from whose bolted joints, level now with Tom's head, steam was escaping with a hissing noise. This hissing, joined with the humming noise which was louder and more vibrant, became suddenly urgent and menacing. The presence of so much compressed steam, so much sheer awful force, seemed to animate the sweating pipes as if they were all quivering with life. Might not the whole thing be about to explode, and was not this imminent danger the reason why the place was empty? Everyone had run away except him. The pipes seemed to pant, and in the steamy air to be shuddering and bending. Tom retreated a few steps. The air, almost too hot to breathe, was oppressing his lungs. Then as the long section of stairway swayed he ran on down to a large substantial platform. He looked below him: more pipes overlaying each other, mixed now with monstrous horizontal tubes, another glimpse of wet concrete. The thrilling hum seemed to have entered his body, making him vibrate with an ecstatic, urgent anguish."

Tom is a McCaffrey, one of the principal families in Ennistone, and the events in this novel revolve around them. His half-brother, George, is the philosopher's pupil mentioned in the title, and this becomes significant when the philosopher, Rozanov, returns to Ennistone. We are already aware of a certain instability or perhaps madness in George from the first prelude, as it is not entirely clear if he actually intended to murder his wife. He has an obsession with Rozanov, who many years ago discouraged him from becoming a professional philosopher. Was Rozanov responsible for ruining George's life? As with Murdoch's works, there are no clear answers. Rozanov also has his own obsessions, one of which concerns his granddaughter, Harriet, whom he tries to convince Tom to marry.

The plot twists and turns in accordance with the complex relationships among the many memorable characters. At the heart of it all is the spa itself, where the warm waters are a gathering place for the Ennistone inhabitants, and gossip spreads along with the steam.

Despite some absurd situations, I do not consider this book to be part comedy. Indeed, it is not light reading. Instead, there is something ominous about how certain obsessions develop, and George's "recovery" seems more like a surrender.

A question was posted on Goodreads, inquiring whether this is a good book to commence with as one's first by Iris Murdoch.

I am inclined to say "no." It failed to draw me in with its purported genius. Instead, it pushed me away due to what I regarded as a peculiar choice of narrator, extensive philosophical discussions, and an abundance of introspection at the expense of the story.

Nevertheless, I will not be deterred. I am determined to read more of her work. However, I may never forgive her for the overly long description of Tom's perilous journey (at the 90% mark in the book) into the sweltering and steamy "workings" of the Institute.

Perhaps brighter readers may correct me, but I could not fathom any purpose for its inclusion in the narrative. (Could it be a reference to Dante's Inferno??)