The Reading Group Reads...
The Sea The Sea by Iris Murdoch
ON 6 JULY nine of us met at my house to discuss The Sea The Sea which, in 1978,
won the Booker Prize for its author Iris Murdoch, and is acclaimed as some of
her best writing.
In the book, the egotistical Charles Arrowby, a retired theatre director, retires to a desolate house by a wild and rocky coast where he proceeds to write his memoirs - these evolve into a diary which relates the immediate and extraordinary events of his life, in particular his total obsession with regaining his 'first love' who he unexpectedly finds living in the same village.
Varying images of the ever-present sea run throughout this intricate novel which is overflowing with extraordinary characters, surreal visions, dreams, happenings and surprises. A few of us classed this book as 'brilliant', most at least enjoyed it and one or two were less enthusiastic, but everyone agreed that it had become compulsive reading and most were keen to read more books by this significant modern English novelist.
Our forthcoming meetings all begin at 8pm and will be: 3 August when we will discuss Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, at the Hollingsworths, Yule House, 41 Lower End. On 7 September we will discuss The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni, at the Mathesons, Kent House, 9 High Street, where we will meet again on 5 October to talk about Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. New Readers are always welcome.