The Sea, The Sea ....

[MissWooWoo]

I am halfway through this and am totally and utterly in love with Iris Murdoch's style.

Can I expect all her books to be as lovely as this? This is my first Iris you see ... anyone else a fan and what are your recommendations? Could do with another for my holiday

Er, I remember The Green Knight being okay. I haven't read The Sea, The Sea. I also have a copy of Under The Net languishing on my bookshelf but still haven't got round to reading it.

I've read a lot of her books and, while The Sea the Sea is definitely my fave, I've really enjoyed the others too.

Is that the one where she goes into detail about what the old guy has to eat for every meal? And it's all cheese and pear chutney and an underripe banan sort of stuff?

yes that's the one ... anchovy paste, dustings of curry powder and only fools detesting ketchup. has really got under my skin - have I started with the best, is it all downhill from here? say it's not so

I wouldn't say that because I enjoyed every single one of the others but that was my favourite.

I read it when I was 22 [sigh]
still useful to whip up a meal from a few tins.
Then I read more and more of them in my 20's, all with tragic twists, quite carried away really until suddenly with a final intellectual flurry the Book and the Brotherhood was too much for me [sinks under weight of tome] Then took up Elizabeth Jane Howard instead.

Actually I find Iris M. strange because some of her first person narrators are men. Is that an obvious observation? can anyone enlighten me why she choses this format?

There was a very good one about an old man who falls for his ward - was it set in a Roman spa town?
The Bell was good too. All gripping plots too, tragic flaws all over the place.
And one that sounded like title of a Batman film - Dark Prince was it? more old men falling for students.

Iris Murdoch is fabulous. I love 'The Sea, The Sea' as well. Would also recommend 'The Green Knight', 'The Black Prince' and 'A Fairly Honourable Defeat'. Actually, I haven't read a Murdoch that I wouldn't read again so I'd recommend them all.

Do you like Muriel Spark, too? They are oddly linked in my mind despite being quite different in a lot of ways.

I don't find it strange that she chooses men as narrators. Why not?

so glad to hear that there are more treats ahead, but which one for a holiday in the sun? The Sea, the sea would have been perfect of course ....

I have read a couple of Muriel's - Momento Mori and The Comforters - but only last year. I did like them but am already loving Iris more.

The Good Apprentice is rather good, too.

After checking internet the ones I remember enjoying a lot were The Philosopher's Pupil, and The Word Child. Message to the Planet is a bit late.

goodness she's knocked a fair few out. plenty to recommendations here for me to choose from which I'm pleased about, am off now for a dip into the sea

of obviously