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The Good Apprentice
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The Good Apprentice
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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 will appeal to readers interested in philosophical fiction, ethical dilemmas, and character-driven stories that blend emotional depth with intellectual insight.
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See moreStuart's step-brother Edward Baltram is tormented by guilt because he has, he believes, killed his best friend. Funny, compelling and extremely moving, THE GOOD APPRENTICE is about guilt ridden despair, and the difficult problem of how to try to be good - and the various magical devices which console those who are sensible enough not to try.
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
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Description
Stuart Cuno has decided to become good. Not believing in God, he invents his own methods, which include celibacy, chastity, and the abandonment of a promising academic career. Interfering friends and relations question his sincerity, his sanity, and his motives.
Stuart's step-brother, Edward Baltram, is tormented by guilt because he has, he believes, killed his best friend. He dreams sometimes of redemption, sometimes of suicide.
Funny, compelling, and extremely moving, The Good Apprentice is about guilt-ridden despair and the difficult problem of how to try to be good—and the various magical devices which console those who are sensible enough not to try.
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?
Economist praises the novel, stating: "Iris Murdoch at her most artful, juggling philosophy and farce with knowledge and ease."
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780099285250
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 30 November 2000
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Vintage Classics
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 31.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 425g
Pages: 576
About the 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. Iris Murdoch made her writing debut in 1954 with Under the Net. Her twenty-six novels include the Booker prize-winning The Sea, The Sea (1978), the James Tait Black Memorial prize-winning The Black Prince (1973) and the Whitbread prize-winning The Sacred and Profane Love Machine (1974). Her philosophy includes Sartre: Romantic Rationalist (1953) and Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals (1992); other philosophical writings, including The Sovereignty of Good (1970), are collected in Existentialists and Mystics (1997).
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