Under the net

Iris Murdoch's first novel.Iris Murdoch's first novel is a gem - solid and sparkling. Set in a part of London, where struggling writers rub shoulders with successful bookies, and film starlets with frantic philosophers. Its hero, Jake Donaghue, is a drifting, clever, likeable young man who makes a living out of translation work and sponging on his friends. Meeting again, after some years, an old flame, Anna, he is led into a series of fantastic adventures. Iris Murdoch has wit, great power of invention and a knack for producing absurd incidents with a serious undertone and tender episodes with an edge of satire. Robust, full of flavour and panache, here is one of those rare novels which equally make one laugh and make one think.

First sentence: WHEN I saw Finn waiting for me at the corner of the street I knew at once that something had gone wrong.

Year

1961

Language

English

Publisher

Penguin (Non-Classics)

Editions

22

Reader rating

3.6 / 5 (5)

Pages

256

ISBN

9780140014457

Data source: Wikidata