Under the Net

Had been meaning to get round to Murdoch for some years but was expecting a fairly heavy read. In fact, after the first 70 pages or so in which I was unsure about the direction I was being taken, I found that I was laughing aloud for much of the book (rare in my case), which is not something I had expected. The set pieces of the book are conceived with great originality & a deeply quirky, Irish type of humour. The characters... Read Full Review

I audibly laughed through half the scenes of this amazing first novel. It is a great thing to make someone laugh out loud while reading and this book did it continually. Whether it be the point where Jake Donaghue sits outside Sadie's flat listening to the "plot" against him with the neighbours poking him to see what he'll do or the superhero stunts of Jake and Hugo at the Roman set saving Lefty. I couldn't stop myself from... Read Full Review

This isn't merely Murdoch's first novel, it is also (one of) her best. The story of the would-be writer Jake D. who struggles to find a proper literary philosophy to ignite his career, nicely reflects Murdoch's own intellectual struggles in writing "Under the Net". Although this might sound rather high-blown and tedious, it is not, for by mixing the philosophical musings with the picaresque form, Murdoch ensures that... Read Full Review

Very few books have I ever picked up to immediately find myself thinking, "Oh!" Such was the case with "Under the Net". This was my first Iris Murdoch novel, but by no means will it be my last.She deftly creates empathy for our anti-hero, Jake, while making him less than sympathetic, drawing the reader into the story while at the same time keeping us far enough away that we can comfortably laugh at the proceedings. Murdoch... Read Full Review