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The Bell (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)

by Iris Murdoch

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Conversations
788	16	5,497	(3.88)	30

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▾Book information

Info:	Penguin Classics (2001), Paperback, 320 pages
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▾Recommendations

Member recommendations

edwinbcn recommends Next to Nature, Art by Penelope Lively, "Both books are about a commune, the book by Murdoch explores this in more detail and depth."
Booksloth recommends The 199 Steps by Michael Faber
Booksloth recommends The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

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▾Member reviews

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Showing 1-5 of 16 (next | show all)

I grew up in a cult, so my girlfriend brought me this book.

It's a wonderful portrait of a Christian Sect. I find Murdoch paints wonderful pictures of people, always realistic - but not always likeable.

I haven't read any Iris Murdoch, but I keep thinking that I should. (

)

stephenmakin | Jul 7, 2009 |

Good lord, how have I never read Ms Murdoch before. Gorgeous, though the introspective tangents got a little long at times, they were also absolutley charming. Great for anyone who loves Virginia WOlf and George Eliot. (

)

welkinscheek | Nov 1, 2008 |

A story of several people attending a religious community, not all of them religious, for various reasons. Their individual problems and the interaction of the characters culminating in an 'incident', has an effect on them all. A bit dated, but well written. I thought that the arriving was perhaps better than the travelling with this book. (

)

bsquared46 | Sep 3, 2008 |

Her best

annaanna | Aug 12, 2008 |

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5... (

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wookiebender | Jun 4, 2008 |

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▾Common Knowledge

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Series (with order)

Canonical Title

The Bell

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Imber Court (fictional), Gloucestershire, England, UK

Pendelcote (fictional), Gloucestershire, England, UK

Swindon, England, UK

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Anthony Burgess: 99 Novels (1958)

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006/2008 Edition)

Epigraph

Dedication

TO JOHN SIMOPOULOS

First words

Dora Greenfield left her husband because she was afraid of him.

Quotations

It might be thought that since Nature by addition had defeated him of Nick, at least by subtraction it was now offering him Catherine: but this did not occur to Michael except abstractly and as something someone else might have felt. (p.98)

Dora's ignorance of religion, as of most things, was formidable. She had never in fact been able to distinguish religion from superstition, and had given up her own practice of it when she discovered that she could say the Lord's Prayer quickly but not slowly.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

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▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Book Description (ISBN 0099283891, Paperback)

A lay community of thoroughly mixed-up people is encamped outside Imber Abbey, home of an enclosed order of nuns. A new bell,legendary symbol of religion and magic, is rediscovered. Dora Greenfield, erring wife, returns to her husband. Michael Mead, leader of the community, is confronted by Nick Fawley, with whom he had disasterous homosexual relations, while the wise old Abbess watches and prays and exercies discreet authority. And everyone, or almost everyone, hopes to be saved whatever that may mean...Iris Murdoch's funny and sad novel is about religion, the fight between good and evil and the terrible accidents of human frailty.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)

(see all 2 descriptions)

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