MACMILLAN Iris Murdoch: The Retrospective Fiction

Bran Nicol traces the preoccupation in Murdoch's fiction with the way the past makes its mark upon us, haunting us and eluding our attempts to grasp it. This argument was given an extra resonance by the death of Murdoch after Alzheimer's disease in 1999, when the first edition was published. This new edition includes detailed readings of novels not discussed in the original (The Bell, The Sacred and Profane Love Machine, and The Philosopher's Pupil) and includes a new preface, an updated bibliography and three new chapters covering Murdoch's most important and popular novels, considering in more depth her relationship with the dominant literary and intellectual currents of her time. Review '...lucid, insightful and well-documented.' - David Herman, Modern Fiction Studies '...[Nicol] offers a fresh and valuable perspective on many of [Murdoch's 'retrospective fictions'] distinctive features...an interesting and lucid book about Murdoch's narrators, a subject that has not had proper attention...' - George Soule, The Iris Murdoch Newsletter 'Nicol's is an important voice in Murdoch criticism, at first glance maverick, but essentially original and challenging, and it is very good to have his study with us, brought up-to-date.' - Peter J. Conradi, author of the acclaimed official biography, Iris Murdoch: A Life Reviews for the first edition: '...lucid, insightful and well-documented' - David Herman, Modern Fiction Studies '...[Nicol] offers a fresh and valuable perspective on many of [Murdoch's 'retrospective fictions'] distinctive features...an interesting and lucid book about Murdoch's narrators, a subject that has not had proper attention...' - George Soule, The Iris Murdoch Newsletter About the Author BRAN NICOL is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Portsmouth, UK.