Ottar Olaussen Olaussen itibaren Isola SR, İtalya itibaren Isola SR, İtalya

Not one of my favorites from Nick Hornby, but probably worth the read.

Murdoch adeptly conveys the enticing yet frighting challenges of self knowledge and self control. She demonstrates the tricks of traditional novel writing, yet blends in a few of her own techniques as well. For instance, she alternates third-person perspectives among a few main players, yet mixes their voices with the omniscient. This is most notable in the case of young Toby. Murdoch describes his views using his favorite word, rebarbative, while commenting authoritatively on his emotional development. In The Bell, Murdoch brings up the idea of truth and illusion - most suggestively when Dora compares the inside of the old bell with a dark cave (Murdoch is a Plato expert). But then when the new bell goes for an adventure, we never hear from the old bell again. That duality could have been further developed, and could have been paired with deeper change within a character (maybe Dora or Michael). Some of the non-principle characters would have benefited from more development. Perhaps Murdoch purposely maintained secrecy about the inner lives of some characters, like Nick and Catherine. Those twins represent the secret worlds that we point to as validation of our actions, though we hardly understand. Thus, they can be used to justify our most selfish views. Though Dora and Michael demonstrate small steps towards health, the characters are mostly stuck in their dramas. Even Toby, who finds a faint message of truth about love, seeks to quickly wash it away through conditioned action. It is only the hero, Mother Clare, who has moved beyond her hangups to the point where she can focus on the means of life as if they were ends, of their own value. Murdoch seems to maintain a playfulness and acknowledgment of the absurdities of humanity, which are probably some of aspects of her work that have led her to be one of the few philosophers read by the a large audience. She plays up and against stereotypes to profound effect. The hero of the novel, who could have been presented as merely the uninvolved sage, is the one character who is truly looking out for others, though she is ostensibly the paragon of introspection. Unlike her, the novitiates, in their simple egotism, confuse the medium for a reassuring message, like one standing agog at the tolling of a bell.

Fun little story. Geared for a younger audience than the Wicked trilogy, the prose and plot were more stream lined, but I though the author's use of cliches was a bit over the top.

Not my favorite of hers, but still great!