Iris Murdoch and her husband, John Bailey

The last time I visited Auntie’s in Spokane, I nearly ran into a pillar.  Thankfully, no one seemed to be watching.  Also, that pillar was covered with staff-recommended books.  The one closest to my head, which would have left its imprint on my forehead if I hadn’t snapped out of my daydream in time, was The Bell by Iris Murdoch.

I’d seen the movie Iris a couple of times (it features three of my very favorite actors–Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, and Jim Broadbent–who were, incidentally, all nominated for Oscars for their performances in this film) but had never encountered any of Dame Iris’s books before, so naturally I was curious.

For a book written by a noted philosopher, The Bell is surprisingly easy to read.  The prose bears the marks of its time (some overwriting, adjective stacking, etc.) and at times, Murdoch does use some of the trademark tools of the philosophical novel (long speeches delivered by characters, stretches of philosophical internal monologue).  But overall, she lets the reader figure out the message for him/herself–and I appreciated that. Read more »