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Read The Philosopher's Pupil (1989)

The Philosopher's Pupil (1989)

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Rating
3.9 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0140066950 (ISBN13: 9780140066951)
Language
English
Publisher
penguin books

The Philosopher's Pupil (1989) - Plot & Excerpts

Слухала аудіокнижку. Спочатку я думала полишити цей роман, бо вже була пересвідчилася, що ім'я Мердок незаслужено роздмухане, ці численні літературні премії і слава, а окрім яскравого початку роману мене дуже дого нічого не чіпляло. От хіба що деталізовані історичні екскурси та описи архітектури містечка дії - давно не сприймала таких якісних. А от діалоги якісь були ніби висмоктані із пальця. Щось таке сіре, нереалістичне і сумбурне, геть позбавлене художньості, а персонажів вагон - ледь розібралася, хто кому ким приходиться. Продовжувала слухати, щоб не нудьгувати під час хатньої роботи, а альтернативної аудіокнижки не було, а потім сама не помітила, як "втягнулася" і з нетерпінням слухаю продовження. Напхано у книгу немало: і філософії добра і зла, і різноманітних типів відносин, і гротескних ситуацій, і нечуваного нахабства. А поглядів на любов і кохання... ох!

Of all the Iris murdoch novels I have tackled during our murdoch a month challenge, this is one of only about 3 or 4 I had read before - although I had absolutely no memory of it either before or while I read it this time. I can't say it is my favourite - or anyway near to being a favourite Murdoch, but it was enjoyable, and at times, really quite a page turner. I thought John Robert to be absolutely the vilest of her characters so far - except for maybe Julius in A Fairy Honourable defeat - there was just something so utterly repelent about him, and his odd relationship with his granddaughter. Many typical Murdoch themes - a good deal of philosophical chunterings which is no surprise given the title, but I did get a bit fed up with the constant inward exammination of everyone's motives and preoccupations. I really liked the character of Gabriel - she is just mad enough to be likeable - and also Adam and his adorbale dog - the dog was my favourite character - much more likeable than most Murdoch humans who are all just a bit peculiar -even the nice ones. As always there were serveral characters developing unlikely passions for one of the other characters, amazing how often IM has some repellently ugly bully being mooned over by at least two other seemingly sane normal people. Brian was vile, and George pathetic, but then there has to be at least one really pathetic male in an Iris Murdoch novel.

What do You think about The Philosopher's Pupil (1989)?

Very mixed feelings about this one. If I promise a proper review later, that probably won't happen. Whatever I'm going to say, I have to say now. I appreciated the depth and variety of characterization here, but felt the writing was pretty heavy-handed. Interesting meditations on God, philosophy, psychology. It really was the narrative voice that bothered me. It is very much a conceit here. The narrator introduces himself, calls himself N, names the whole town after himself (Ennistone - ha ha), and then proceeds to show us the deep inner workings of every single person's head. Which is hard enough to pull off when it's simply the Magical Omniscient Author doing it, but outright weird when it's a person in the story, tangential to the events, doing it. Also: flying saucer. I have to admit, that didn't make a lot of sense to me. So yes, of the two Murdoch books I have now read, I preferred the other.
—Rachel Hartman

I knew Iris Murdoch was a writed with phenomenal power in explaining and expressing human typology. I had, though, no idea her books could be so powerful."The Philosopher's Pupil" surprised me in many ways, but the best thing about it were by far the characters. Usually, my rating for a book is by how good the action/plot was. In this book, I had to change my ways. Loved loved loved the characters. I especially enjoyed Tom, George and Diane, even though they were not the only ones to be presetend as important characters. Of course, I thought all of them were really well constructed, even Ruby, who at first I thought was plain boring. I liked some of the comparisons that took place in the book, as well as some part of the drama of the big and all-mighty philosopher, John Robert Rozanov, but I thought his actions were a bit fake and his thinking a bit plain.No worries, though, I had a very fine time reading this book.
—Ana

In this one the power of the Dark Lord (one theme in Murdoch is a magnetic character) is not erotic but intellectual. Is there any more miserable creature in the world than a rejected graduate student? Like an abandoned child endlessly searching for his father's approval, the philosopher's pupil seeks for the formula that will unlock the Great Philosopher's treasury of blessings (which as only the reader can see, may not exist). Why Murdoch chose to set this story perched over the monstrous and dangerously aging pipe room, in the steamy chambers of Bath's baths, is a little bit of a mystery to me. Probably some kind of symbolism.
—Jane

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