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The Bell (Vintage Classics Murdoch Series)

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( 9,734 ratings, 1,010 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Bell by Iris Murdoch explores a secluded religious community living adjacent to an ancient abbey. As tensions rise within the group, the discovery of an old bell precipitates personal revelations and conflicts, challenging the characters' ideals and desires. The novel deftly weaves themes of faith, love, and the complexities of human relationships.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring the complexities of human relationships and the interplay between desire and morality. Set in a secluded religious community, the story delves into themes of spirituality, personal struggles, and the hidden secrets of its intriguing characters. Iris Murdoch's rich prose and insightful character development offer an enthralling exploration of the human condition.

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The Bell (Vintage Classics Murdoch Series)

Charming, indolent Dora arrives in their midst, and half-unwittingly conjures these submerged things to the surface.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY SARAH PERRY

VINTAGE CLASSICS MURDOCH: Funny, subversive, fearless and fiercely intelligent, Iris Murdoch was one of the great writers of the twentieth century.

A novel that offers uplifting lessons in love - now republished as part of the Vintage Classics Murdoch Series - six gorgeous editions of her best, funniest and most subversive novels published to mark her centenary.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A novel that offers uplifting lessons in love, now republished as part of the Vintage Classics Murdoch Series—six gorgeous editions of her best, funniest, and most subversive novels published to mark her centenary.

The Bell invites you to Imber Court, a quiet haven for lost souls, a utopia for those who can neither live in the world nor out of it. Beneath the gentle daily routines of this community run currents of suppressed desire, religious yearning, and a legend of disastrous love. Charming, indolent Dora arrives in their midst and, half-unwittingly, conjures these submerged things to the surface.

With an introduction by Sarah Perry.

Vintage Classics Murdoch: Funny, subversive, fearless, and fiercely intelligent, Iris Murdoch was one of the great writers of the twentieth century. To celebrate her centenary, Vintage Classics presents special editions of her greatest and most timeless novels.

Series: Vintage Classics Murdoch Series

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Iris Murdoch's The Bell is praised for exploring profound themes such as love, goodness, and the quest for happiness with a lively and poignant tone. Reviewers highlight its blend of social comedy and depth, reminiscent of Wodehouse and Pym, while also noting the vivid and dramatic portrayal of its characters’ moral struggles. Emphasised as both comical and moving, the novel remains engaging and inventive, bearing a storytelling tradition likened to literary greats like Austen and Dickens.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784875206

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 July 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Sarah Perry
  • Introduction by Sarah Perry

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 178.0mm

Weight: 263g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Iris Murdoch (Author) Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin in 1919. She read Classics at Somerville College, Oxford, and after working in the Treasury and abroad, was awarded a research studentship in Philosophy at Newnham College, Cambridge. In 1948 she returned to Oxford as fellow and tutor at St Anne's College and later taught at the Royal College of Art. Until her death in 1999, she lived in Oxford with her husband, the academic and critic, John Bayley. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1987 and in the 1997 PEN Awards received the Gold Pen for Distinguished Service to Literature. Sarah Perry (Introducer) Sarah Perry is the internationally best-selling author of the novels Melmoth, The Essex Serpent and After Me Comes the Flood, and the non-fiction Essex Girls. She is a winner of the Waterstone's Book of the Year Award and the British Book of the Year Award and has been nominated for major literary prizes including the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Folio Prize and the Costa Novel Award. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

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