It’s no secret that I have a difficult time resisting books with stunning covers. Publishers know how to lure me in; take an author I’ve never heard of and then throw colorful graphic art on their books and I’m salivating. Also, brilliant marketing, because this is an excellent way to expose younger generations of readers to authors they may not have come across before.
So is my tale with Iris Murdoch. When Vintage Classics published six of this Irish author’s novels with these bold covers, I needed them. However, when I started looking into the basics synopsis of the titles I was like, “Eh… sounds like a soap opera to me. Thanks, but no thanks.” I started to dig a little deeper and discovered that Iris Murdoch’s novels are actually known for their deep philosophical meanings with of all their drama and bizarre, often unlikeable characters, and then I was like, “Yea, that’s my cup of tea. Sign me up!”
I now have three of the six novels that Vintage published in this new collection. I will inevitably obtain the other 3, but I’m not pressed right now. I’ll be starting with The Sea, The Sea this year, which won the Man Booker Prize in 1978. I’ve heard that The Sea, The Sea is a challenging read; complicated, a bit stream-of-conscious, dense and elusive. I love a good challenge and I’m excited to read an author that’s new to me.
Have you read any of Iris Murdoch’s novels?
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