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Classic Iris Murdoch!

I am always astonished at how incredibly funny her books are!

So much of the content seems rather silly on the surface, but the reader simply cannot help but be carried along for the enjoyable ride.

It is truly a great deal of fun.

Her writing style has a unique charm that keeps the readers engaged from beginning to end.

The characters she creates are vivid and full of life, adding to the overall hilarity of the stories.

Even the most absurd situations are presented in such a way that they become entertaining and captivating.

Reading an Iris Murdoch book is like going on a wild adventure filled with laughter and unexpected twists.

It is a literary experience that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a good laugh and an engaging read.

Her works are a testament to her remarkable talent as a writer.

I absolutely adored this book. It is a first-person narrative that follows a young man on a thrilling and adventurous quest for love and friendship. What makes it even more captivating is the healthy dose of philosophy that is seamlessly incorporated into the story.

The part of the narrative that has truly stayed with me is the story revolving around Hugo. I find the concept that a friendship could potentially end based on an assumed betrayal to be extremely thought-provoking. Moreover, the fact that this betrayal is one of the spirit and not an actual occurrence adds an extra layer of complexity. It raises an interesting question: does the person we believe we have betrayed have to actually feel betrayed in order for the betrayal to be real?

This is the very first book by Murdoch that I have had the pleasure of reading, but after this experience, I am determined to explore more of her works. I am eager to see what other literary gems and profound ideas she has in store for her readers.

Forget about the rest, Irish Murdoch is truly the best.

Rereading some of my mother's favorite books, namely Iris Murdoch and Barbara Pym, it becomes evident that the English language novels seem to have taken a step backward from that point.

Iris Murdoch's works are vast in scope without ever being a bore. She has this remarkable ability to create complex and engaging worlds, filled with multi-dimensional characters and intricate storylines.

Her writing style is captivating, drawing the reader in and keeping them hooked until the very end.

Whether it's exploring themes of love, morality, or the human condition, Murdoch does it all with finesse and elegance.

Comparatively, Barbara Pym's books also have their own charm, but in a different way.

However, when it comes to the overall impact and quality, Iris Murdoch stands out as a literary giant.

Her contributions to the world of English literature are truly remarkable and continue to be relevant and influential today.

London and Paris are two of the most vibrant and exciting cities in the world, and both have a rich and diverse drinking culture.

In London, you can find a wide variety of pubs, bars, and clubs to suit every taste and budget. From traditional British pubs serving real ale and hearty pub grub, to trendy cocktail bars and nightclubs playing the latest music, there is something for everyone. Some of the most popular areas for drinking in London include Soho, Shoreditch, and Camden Town.

Paris, on the other hand, is famous for its cafes and wine bars. The French love to relax and enjoy a good cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and there are countless cafes and bars throughout the city where you can do just that. Many of these establishments have outdoor seating, allowing you to soak up the sun and watch the world go by. Some of the best areas for drinking in Paris include the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, and the Marais.

Whether you prefer a pint of beer in a traditional pub or a glass of wine in a charming Parisian cafe, London and Paris have something to offer every drinker. So why not raise a glass and toast to the good life in these two amazing cities?

Always interesting writing,

but what a wild ride it truly is.

Philosophy is artfully sprinkled in with Jake’s circuitous adventures,

taking the reader on a journey that finally winds down to a satisfying resolution.

Iris was so brilliant in this work,

yet I’m glad to have read several other of her books before this one.

It gives a broader perspective on her writing style and the depth of her ideas.

Each of her books seems to offer a unique exploration of different themes and concepts.

This particular one, with its combination of adventure and philosophy,

adds another layer to the rich tapestry of her literary contributions.

It makes me eager to see what else she has in store for her readers in the future.

This Edition is published by Chatto & Windus, London as part of "The Collected Edition". It should be noted that this is not part of Reprint Library's series.

This is Iris Murdoch's first book, which was first published in 1954. It marks the beginning of her remarkable literary career. In this debut work, Murdoch展现了 her unique writing style and profound insights into human nature and relationships.

The story likely takes readers on a journey through the lives of its characters, exploring their joys, sorrows, and the complex web of emotions that bind them. As we turn the pages, we are drawn into a world crafted with precision and artistry by Murdoch.

Although it was her first book, it already hints at the genius that would make her a highly regarded and influential author in the literary world. The publication of this book in 1954 set the stage for the many great works that were to follow from Iris Murdoch.

Irish novelist Iris Murdoch's debut novel Under the Net is, at least in theory, one of those thrilling On the Road-style chronicles of youth spent without responsibility. It promises to create interesting adventures populated by larger than life characters.

However, what truly sets Under the Net apart from other similar novels is that, with the exception of Jake, the characters are not interesting in the slightest. Murdoch devotes a significant portion of the book to precisely explaining to the reader why Jake's friend Hugo is so interesting. But this turns out to be mostly a fruitless endeavor, as Hugo ultimately comes across as a tremendously boring armchair philosopher with views that are difficult to fathom.

Just like Hugo, the other key characters are also dull and one-dimensional. Their personalities are merely told to the reader rather than shown through their actions and interactions. Part of this may be due to the novel's frame - Jake's recollections of these previous times. But there is still no excuse for characters like Finn to be introduced with a long list of personality traits that don't all become evident over the course of the novel.

Moreover, the troubles that Jake encounters in Under the Net are generally resolved so easily that they seem completely harmless. For example, when he gets kicked out of his housing, it's obvious that he won't be homeless for long because he has a wealth of friendships to rely on, even if some of his friends don't seem to like him that much. In contrast to Keep the Aspidistra Flying's Gordon Comstock, who truly suffers, Jake's life is relatively easy and comfortable.

Other than some very brief discussions of his financial insolvency, money is completely overlooked, despite the fact that Jake has never held a job other than writing and translating. Simply put, as a comedic account of a struggling writer, Under the Net fails rather spectacularly, offering neither the expected laughs nor the plot and character-based hijinks that one would expect.

It is wonderful to get to know the world of "Iris Murdoch" - a unique, charming world. At first, you might think that it opens the promised doors to your future with great hospitality, but in reality, you slip and fall into that world in an instant that you will never be able to determine. The narration is delicate and smooth, playing with a pleasant sense of humor, with a rather long and graceful cadence, bustling with small details that might seem trivial to you but which the author endows with wealth. A world that shimmers with colors, hidden emotions, and complex philosophical ideas.

Here, you encounter a writer and translator living a busy and eventful life, entangled in a web of intertwined and overlapping events to a great extent. She weaves her imagination into positions towards others according to her own perceptions that have been deeply formed within her. With this, she does not untangle the threads but rather increases their complexity and stumbles upon countless mistakes in a vast world with no boundaries. He circles around himself in an empty circle, trying to fill it with meaning. When the silence descends upon you and the chaos roars in a strange mixture, you can only surrender to it.

Do you see that the web is time that consumes us? Does a passerby pass above us while we struggle beneath the passage of moments and the disappearance of things? Beneath the web, we are fighting our souls to hold onto time that washes away everything, and in our attempt to cling to it, we call it the past. We await an unknown and obscure future, and what comes today will become the past tomorrow. Yes, all of this passes beneath the web of time as we wait for the end.

And when does a person truly know a being as a human being? Perhaps only when he realizes the impossibility of that knowledge, when he gives up the desire for it and is content with not feeling the need for it, and when what a person achieves is something far from knowledge, a kind of coexistence, and this too is another belief of the beliefs of love.

I can't remember the last time I read something with so much enjoyment!

Iris Murdoch was always one of the authors whose complete works I wanted to read. I had started reading "The Italian Girl" with an unfortunate beginning and had put it aside. Then, since I couldn't reach for the thick "The Black Prince" or "The Sea, The Sea" at home, I simply picked this one up because I thought it would be easy to read. I don't even remember how many times I laughed out loud the night I picked it up :)

Although it is her first novel, it is said to be one of her most successful. It is a story of personal reckoning. With her friends, with herself, with the work she does, the way she makes money and ends her days. It is also reflected in the humorous fabric of the language, and I really understood Jake as I was reading :). The plot lines are so natural that nothing feels contrived. It could perhaps be described as an anti-hero, but I don't think it's necessary.

At the same time, the fact that the dog Mister Mars and the cat Maggie take up as much space in the book as the human characters and have their own stories really pleased me.

Maybe it doesn't deserve a 5 in terms of literary value, but I'm not going to dock any points for the fact that it made me laugh so much and made me feel close to the characters!

I may be alone in thinking this,

but Iris Murdoch's main character here, Jake Donaghue, reminds me of Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye fame.

Both are seriously separated from normality. Jake Donaghue seems to float through life in a daze, detached from the ordinary routines and expectations. Similarly, Holden Caulfield is a rebellious and disillusioned teenager, constantly railing against the phoniness he perceives in the world around him.

Both take us on their disjointed, almost chaotic, trips around their respective cities. Jake meanders through the streets of London, his thoughts and actions often unpredictable. Holden, on the other hand, wanders the streets of New York, getting into various scrapes and encounters.

Salinger's novel was published in 1951, Murdoch's in 1954. While I don't think there was any conscious influence between the two, their similarities are striking.

Now over 60 years later, Holden Caulfield is undoubtedly more famous than Jake Donaghue. However, both novels have firmly entrenched themselves in 20th century literary history. They both appear on Time Magazine's and Modern Library's best 100 novels list, a testament to their enduring appeal and significance.

I wasn't aware that this was the first book written by Iris Murdoch. However, it is certainly not my favorite book by one of my favorite writers.

Iris Murdoch was a highly regarded author, and her body of work is extensive. Some of her notable works include "Living on Paper: Letters from Iris Murdoch, 1934 - 1995", "Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch", "Iris Murdoch: Dream Girl", "A Severed Head", "The Sea, the Sea", "The Black Prince", "The Bell", and "Under the Net".

In addition to these, there are several other translations of her works such as "The Sacred and Profane Love Machine", "A Fairly Honourable Defeat", "The Nice and the Good", "The Philosopher's Pupil", "The Sandcastle", "The Italian Girl", "The Good Apprentice", and "The Red and the Green". Each of these works offers a unique perspective into the mind and imagination of Iris Murdoch.

While this particular book may not be my favorite, it is still an important part of her literary legacy. It serves as a reminder of her talent and creativity, and it continues to be studied and enjoyed by readers around the world.