Michelle’s review accurately encapsulates my sentiments regarding ‘Bruno’s Dream’.

None of the characters in this novel are remotely likeable or even approachable. All the relationships seem to be either abusive, manipulative, or driven by envy. It is extremely difficult for me to discern any attempt at finding or establishing a form of agape love.

Nigel portrays himself as a saint, but as Liz so succinctly put it, he is actually a creepy hippy. Lisa is considerate and kind to Bruno, yet her eagerness to attend to the needs of an old man appears to stem more from a desire to be subservient rather than an attempt to do good.

The novel seems to mirror Bruno’s life, a complex web of entanglements lacking any connection or thread of love. Just as Bruno ponders the end of life in a godless universe, devoid of any concept of an afterlife, we have the universe of a novel that lacks any animating force beyond the fleeting desires of the characters for short-term sexual or financial gratification.

Murdoch’s depiction of Bruno’s decline is masterful writing. She captures both his self-awareness of the indignities of old age and his inability to come to terms with the brutal and overwhelming reality of approaching the end of his life.

Throughout the book, I also had the impression that Murdoch had little patience for Bruno and made the central character particularly unlikable, despite the pathos of his situation.

Finally, I adored the flood passage. For a writer whose prose is often so meticulous and thoughtful, the urgent and hectic scenes truly leap off the page. It reminded me of Don climbing the school tower in The Sandcastle, when we are faced with a scene not of philosophical exploration but of high drama and peril.

**Title: The Power of Continuing to Think While Falling Asleep**

Continuing to think about a problem or idea while falling asleep can have a profound impact. As we drift off into the land of dreams, our subconscious mind takes over. This allows for a different kind of processing to occur. It's as if our brain is working behind the scenes, sifting through information and making connections that we might not have considered during our waking hours.

For example, let's say you're working on a complex project at work. You've been stuck on a particular issue for days. But as you lie in bed, thinking about it one last time before falling asleep, something神奇的 happens. In the morning, you wake up with a fresh perspective and a possible solution.

This phenomenon has been studied by scientists and psychologists alike. They believe that the act of continuing to think while falling asleep helps to prime our brains for creative thinking and problem-solving. It allows us to access parts of our minds that are normally hidden or dormant.

So, the next time you're faced with a difficult problem or decision, try thinking about it while you fall asleep. You might be surprised at the results.

She has somehow missed the bus of life.

I must admit that I was truly amazed by how deeply I connected with this novel. By any arbitrary metric, the prose and plot are likely a solid 4.5 stars. However, Bruno's Dream had an even more profound and open throttle impact on me than I initially expected. The innocuous title and the seemingly standard Murdoch dilemma initially concealed its true power.

Given my own age and philosophical resignation, I found myself in lockstep with many of the characters. The plot, like much of Murdoch's other works, features a number of couples and an aged protagonist reflecting under the tyranny of memory and guilt. The couples disengage and seek others, and so on. But somehow, this novel was much more than that. It is a profound discussion of perception and resemblance. There are numerous occasions where the gaze lingers, a certain light is described, and a remembered smell is evoked. While it isn't quite Proust, it does seem to plumb the depths of intelligibility in the key of Heidegger.

Unfortunately, the concluding 30-40 pages were a bit disappointing. But then again, how does one end the infernal rotation and halt the charade? Acts of God and 19C Romanticism don't seem like the best candidates, especially not in a contemporary novel. It leaves the reader with much to ponder and discuss.

Nope....

It felt like something straight out of a Jane Austen novel, yet I've never actually read one.

The concept of a hopeless desire is truly what stands out in this book.

This phrase, which appears almost at the very end, has the power to explain the entire story.

It encapsulates the longing and yearning that the characters experience throughout the narrative.

Their desires seem to be unattainable, leading to a sense of frustration and perhaps even a touch of melancholy.

As the story unfolds, we see how this hopeless desire impacts the characters' lives and relationships.

It drives their actions and decisions, often leading them down paths they might not have otherwise taken.

Despite the hopelessness, there is still a glimmer of hope that persists, adding an element of tension and anticipation to the story.

Overall, the idea of a hopeless desire is a central theme that ties the entire book together and makes it a captivating read.

This year, one of the best things that has happened to me is getting to know Iris Murdoch.

It's truly amazing how a single book can be both so nimble and so profound at the same time.

Her works have this unique ability to draw you in with their engaging stories and then suddenly hit you with deep philosophical insights.

Reading her books is like embarking on a journey of self-discovery and exploration.

You never know what you're going to find around the next corner.

Whether it's a new perspective on life, a different way of looking at relationships, or a deeper understanding of human nature, Iris Murdoch's books always have something to offer.

I feel incredibly lucky to have come across her works and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for me.

A most intriguing book indeed.

Bruno lies near death. He is an old curmudgeon who has had his share of problems with his surviving son. He is cared for by his son-in-law, who was widowed by Bruno's beloved daughter. And then there is the mysterious nurse, Nigel.

At first, I thought it was rather odd that I was reading a book while on my way to the hospital to have my faulty heart repaired. But as I delved into this story, I soon found myself completely beguiled by the other characters in the book. Slowly, I warmed towards Bruno, even as he recedes from the living.

Somehow, Murdoch worked wonders. The story became truly fascinating, filled with a strange and mysterious atmosphere and a touching humanity. It was as if I was drawn into a world where the characters' lives intertwined in the most unexpected ways, and I couldn't help but be captivated by their stories and the emotions that they evoked.

This book has truly been a remarkable read, one that I will not soon forget.

It's truly impossible to read Iris Murdoch and not find oneself completely enthralled.

Even when you are delving into a story filled with a bunch of self-absorbed characters whose lives are hurtling towards what seems like an inevitable disaster.

Her characters are astonishingly deep. Despite being somewhat improbable, they possess a strange kind of authenticity that makes them come alive on the page.

Moreover, her observations about life and its profound meanings are so astute that they have the power to completely blow your mind.

Most of her novels appear to follow a somewhat similar pattern, yet it hardly matters what exactly transpires once you get irresistibly drawn in by her masterful writing.

I hadn't picked up a Murdoch novel for years, but now, after this recent encounter, I truly feel an urgent need to seek out those that I'm still missing.

It's as if her words have cast a spell on me, and I can't wait to explore more of her literary world.

A perfect novel - it has the perfect length, without any superfluous filler.

Throughout the entire work, the tone is perfectly consistent, presenting a charming blend of gentle pathos (yet never crossing into sentimentality) and rueful humour.

This is truly one of my favourite works by Murdoch.

The scene where a drunken Danby is stranded at night in a sea of suburban gardens is simply delightful.

It creates a vivid and almost comical image in the reader's mind.

One can easily picture Danby, in his inebriated state, stumbling through the various gardens, perhaps causing some minor chaos along the way.

The description of this scene adds a touch of lightheartedness to the novel, while also revealing something about Danby's character and the situation he finds himself in.

It is these kinds of well-crafted scenes that make this novel so engaging and enjoyable to read.

Some wonderful lines are drawn from a powerfully imaginative and rather chillingly-foreboding novel. It tells of the rambling reminiscences of a very old man as he struggles to stay alive, and the daily, somewhat disordered or even over-blown lives of those who attend to him.

“Faster and faster now sphere within sphere revolves and sings. The holy city turns within the ring of equatorial emerald, within the milky way of pearl, within the lactigalactic wheel, the galaxy of galaxies, that spins motionless against a point extentionless. The flake of rust, the speck of dust, the invisible slit in the skin through which it all sinks down and runs away.” This description creates a vivid and almost otherworldly image.

“It was his accusers and not his crimes that troubled him.” This line offers a thought-provoking perspective on guilt and conscience.

“Parvati’s oriental ability to see that everything was, from a certain point of view, everything else baffled and charmed his Aristotelian western mind.” It shows the contrast between different cultural ways of thinking.

The novel also contains many other interesting lines, such as “She was a moth that wanted to be burnt by a cold cold flame.” and “Up any religion a man may climb. Along the darkened alleyways the dusky white-clad worshippers are silently carrying the white garlands to lay upon the greasy lingam of Great Shiva.”

Although set in one of the drabber areas of London, this novel was written after the author's two brief visits to India as a 'speaker' for the British Council. Despite being cosseted in luxurious premises and chaperoned at every step, she managed to pick up a great deal of accurate information about India. The mystical 'Indian' colour that she captured in the novel puzzles or irritates some readers, but it also intrigued and influenced the writer herself.

Incidentally, the author had been at the same school as the future Indira Gandhi, the world's first woman Prime Minister. They maintained a sporadic correspondence until Indira Gandhi's gruesome death, which was never mentioned by the author even in her private letters or in any of her books.

While not one of Murdoch's most outstanding creations, this work fares rather better than "The Nice and the Good", which was also short-listed for the Booker Prize, but for the previous year, 1968.

Here, three groups of siblings find themselves entwined in the web of spider-loving, sympathetic old Bruno. Their convoluted relationships reach a climax with a duel (?) and a flood that is supposed to sweep everything before it. However, in the end, it is rather improbably resolved.

Overall, it presents a great and playful portrait of passions and old age. The story delves into the complex emotions and interactions of the characters, painting a vivid picture of their lives and the challenges they face. Despite its flaws, it manages to engage the reader and offer a unique perspective on human nature and the passage of time.

It shows that even in the most unlikely of situations, there is always the possibility of resolution and growth. Murdoch's writing style adds depth and nuance to the story, making it a memorable read.

What a truly beautiful novel this is!

The topic might initially seem not all that interesting, but having a desire to explore more of Iris Murdoch's works, I decided to take the plunge into this one. And it has become my favorite so far.

Bruno and his circle of family and acquaintances interact in the most unexpected ways. By the end of the book, their relationships have undergone a remarkable transformation from what they were at the beginning. The characters are not only interesting but also extremely real, making it easy for the reader to become fully invested in their lives.

Murdoch is truly artful in her use of foreshadowing and dialogue. Her philosophical bent shines through in a manner that is both enjoyable and thought-provoking. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I found myself completely engrossed and didn't want it to end. It is a literary gem that I will surely be revisiting in the future.

Bruno Greensleeve is on the verge of dying. He is extremely old and seemingly quite grotesque. The only joys in his life are his stamps and his spider books. (Murdoch's characters always have such interesting hobbies and preoccupations.) Surrounding him is a curious web of relations, relations of relations, nurses, and servants. There is plenty of rain and muck, with the Thames and the Lots Road Power Station looming ominously over Stadium Street, where the book is set.

In a curious choice, the mystical/maniacal Nigel is introduced and initially written about in the present tense while the rest of the novel is completely in the past tense. Is Nigel a mystic? Or merely a voyeur? He's one of a twin—Murdoch loves her twins—and he's not the novel's only voyeur. At least five of the characters (I wish I was kidding) come to know the destructive power of an all-consuming love.

The quote "Love is a strange thing. There is no doubt at all that it and only it makes the world go round. It is our only significant activity. Everything else is dust and tinkling cymbals and vexation of spirit. Yet on the other hand what a troublemaker it is to be sure. What a dreamer-upper of the impossible, what an embracer of the feet of the unattainable. It is a weird thought that anyone is permitted to love anyone and in any way he pleases. Nothing in nature forbids it. A cat may look at a king, the worthless can love the good, the good the worthless, the worthless the worthless and the good the good. Hey presto: and the great light flashes on revealing perhaps reality or perhaps illusion." emphasizes the complex nature of love.

It's the second Murdoch novel I've read in which a man thinks he's entitled to the love of two women, and the first to feature a duel. And now for today's vocabulary word: porlock (verb) - to interrupt or intrude at an awkward moment.

I started this book during a 'bomb cyclone' (atmospherically appropriate) and I finished reading it in the desert—Twentynine Palms. The contrast between the two settings adds an interesting layer to the reading experience.