Who Would Like This Book:
If you love novels that explore the messiness of human behavior, complicated characters, and subtle philosophical questions, The Bell is a treat. Set in a quirky lay community beside a convent, it features misfits wrestling with faith, sexuality, ethics, and love - all laced with suspense and psychological depth. Murdoch’s clear yet immersive prose brings the English countryside and its oddball residents to life. Perfect for fans of character-driven literary fiction, psychological novels, and stories that probe what it means to live a "good" life - not to mention those who relish books that stir up thoughtful discussion.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers may find the book a bit dated in its social attitudes (it was written in the 1950s), especially around topics like gender and sexuality. The characters can come across as frustratingly self-absorbed, and not everyone will connect with them emotionally. The pacing is occasionally meandering, with long stretches of introspection and description that might lull action lovers to sleep. If you need a likeable protagonist, a fast-moving plot, or if heavy ethical themes and mid-century British settings aren’t your jam, The Bell might not ring your bells.
About:
'The Bell' by Iris Murdoch is a novel set in a lay community attached to an abbey of reclusive nuns in 1950's Gloucestershire. The story follows Dora Greenfield, who returns to her husband living in the community after leaving an unhappy marriage. The book delves into themes of religion, marriage, homosexuality, and self-discovery, narrated through the perspectives of various characters like Dora, Toby, and Michael. Murdoch's writing style is described as dealing with big, serious issues in a way that is not over-serious or pompous, with a switching point of view allowing for an examination of values with irony.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include discussions of sexuality, infidelity, mental health issues, and themes of abuse.
Has Romance?
There is a medium level of romance, primarily rooted in complex relationships among the characters.
From The Publisher:
A motley assortment of characters seek peace and salvation in this early masterpiece by the Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea, The Sea
A lay community of thoroughly mixed-up people is encamped outside Imber Abbey, home of an order of sequestered nuns. A new bell is being installed when suddenly the old bell, a legendary symbol of religion and magic, is rediscovered. And then things begin to change. Meanwhile the wise old Abbess watches and prays and exercises discreet authority. And everyone, or almost everyone, hopes to be saved, whatever that may mean. Originally published in 1958, this funny, sad, and moving novel is about religion, sex, and the fight between good and evil.
Ratings (3)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (1) | |
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Reader Stats (12):
Read It (3) | |
Want To Read (8) | |
Not Interested (1) |
1 comment(s)
Combines the exploration of certain ideas on morality, religion, art, and sex, sometimes delivered in literal sermons, with a well-drawn cast of characters. The limited narrator alternates between only three of them as we see them misinterpreting each other, making wrong assumptions, lying to others and themselves. I often found myself thinking about the characters who remain inaccessible to us when I was away from the book, even after finishing it. Also loved the elaborately described, evocative setting of an old country house next to an abbey, with a picturesque murky lake in between and forest all around.
What can you read after
The Bell?
About the Author:
Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) was born in Dublin and brought up in London. She studied philosophy at Cambridge and was a philosophy fellow at St. Anne's College for 20 years. She published her first novel in 1954 and was instantly recognized as…
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