The quiet life of schoolteacher Bill Mor and his family is disturbed when Rain Carter ... more
arrives at the school to paint the portrait of the headmaster. Mor becomes aware of new desires and his wife and children fight discreetly and ruthlessly against Rain and her influence over him.
Advantages: A good introduction to Murdoch, interesting themes of love and obsession Disadvantages: Quite literary, sometimes too descriptive
IrisMurdoch is a well regarded author who is best known for the ethical and sexual themes of her work. She was awarded the Booker Prize in 1978 for "The Sea, the Sea" and several of her novels have been adapted for film and television. She died in 1999 and suffered from Alzheimer's disease. A film was made of her life in 2001, "Iris" which was based on the memories of her husband, John Bayley.
This was my first look at IrisMurdoch's work and I'm still not sure what I think of it. "The Unicorn" is a strange tale and is full of ambiguity. It is either a re-working of Gothic Romance or it is a parody of Gothicism but no-one seems to be quite sure which.
The book starts off with Marian Taylor, a teacher who decides to take a job at Gaze Castle, a big house in the countryside, in order to have an adventure and get away from the man she ...
Advantages: Great read for Thomas fans Disadvantages: None
Murdoch is a train in the every popular Thomas the Tank Engine series by the Rev. W. Awdry. He is a shiny yellow coloured Tender engine and has a very happy face.
THE STORY
The book begins with the Fat Controller introducing us to Murdoch and how when he joined the railway he thought that the other trains talked too much.
We meet Thomas, Harvey and Salty who are working at Brendam Docks. They say that the docks is always busy with cargo coming in and how the engines axles ache after all their hard work.
A new Tender engine, Murdoch, is bought to help at the docks and to pull goods on the main line. Salty and Harvey welcome Murdoch and Thomas says that he is the biggest train he has ever seen. Murdoch says that they are a chatty lot and he didn't like chatty engines.
The story goes on to tell how Murdoch enjoys quiet ...
Advantages: A likable main character. Disadvantages: A little difficult to get into, a little long.
The Sea, The Sea.
********************
IrisMurdoch wrote her Booker Prize-winning novel, The Sea, The Sea, in 1978 and it is hailed as her best novel. It was her 19th book and she had been short-listed for the Booker Prize several times before. Having watched the film and read the book, which tell the life story of IrisMurdoch in the past few years, I have been interested in reading some of her writing for some time. The Sea, The Sea is the first of her novels that I have had the pleasure to read.
The Storyline.
***************
The narrator of The Sea, The Sea is sixty-something year old, Charles Arrowby. Despite his years Charles comes across as a much younger and vibrant character, mostly due to his many everyday oddities. Charles has spent his life in the theatre as a director, and is a famous figure in the media ...
Product Information for "The Sandcastle - Iris Murdoch" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Modern Fiction
Title
The Sandcastle
Author
Iris Murdoch
Original Release Year
1957
ISBN
0140014748; 0701109793
Manufacturer's product description
The quiet life of schoolmaster Bill Mor and his wife Nan is disturbed when a young woman, Rain Carter, arrives at the school to paint the portrait of the headmaster. Mor, hoping to enter politics, becomes aware of new desires. A complex battle develops, involving love, guilt, magic, art and political ambition. Mor's teenage children and their mother fight discreetly and ruthlessly against the invader. The Head, himself enchanted, advises Mor to seize the girl and run. The final decision rests with Rain. Can a 'great love' be purchased at too high a price?
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