Iris Murdoch sadly suffered a great decline with the onset of Alzheimer's disease. However at the height of her powers she was one of Britain's greatest writers. Dark, beautiful, meditative and reflective are all words that could be used to describe 'The Bell' but none can really do justice to its subtle power. In fact such is its magic that it is only when you go on to read something else that you realise how profoundly it has affected you. Find it, read it, treasure it and fall under its spell.


A compelling tale of repressed passions and buried secrets.   July 10, 2003
 17 out of 20 found this review helpful

As a newcomer to Murdoch (despite the fact that our house is full of her books) I thought I'd pick a random one off the shelf. It would seem that fate had decreed me to pick 'The Bell'. It sounded ok from the blurb and I threw it in my bag before a train journey that I was to take later that day. I always read on the train but this time it was different. I was literally so absorbed that I didn't notice that we had been delayed for an hour along the way. It's hard to begin to describe what captivated me in my first experience with Iris Murdoch's writing. For a start it was interesting from the first page. The characters were restless and unsatisfied. They'd make up their mind that they were adamantly not going to do something and then in the next sentence do exactly what they had forbidden themselves. Most importantly they were real. Murdoch seemed to have her psychology down to such perfection. Anything that was said or done by her characters whether satisfying or annoying was thoroughly easy to comprehend. I have to say that I'm still amazed at her finesse in capturing the most specific of human foibles. But this is just character. The plot of 'The Bell' is magnificent in its sinister glory. The story is relatively simple but is spiked with a growing sense of unease and malice that ticks away like a timebomb waiting to explode. However this atmosphere is mellowed by the presence of innocence and untainted youth. I do not want to go into the finer points of the narrative as they have to be seen within the context of the novel but I can assure you that in no way does the story disappoint.

Iris Murdoch sadly suffered a great decline with the onset of Alzheimer's disease. However at the height of her powers she was one of Britain's greatest writers. Dark, beautiful, meditative and reflective are all words that could be used to describe 'The Bell' but none can really do justice to its subtle power. In fact such is its magic that it is only when you go on to read something else that you realise how profoundly it has affected you. Find it, read it, treasure it and fall under its spell.


An excellent read   January 12, 2003
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

This was one of those books that I couldn't put down. Iris Murdoch paints complex pictures of people, who develop and change, and her plots work on multiple levels. This was no exception: emotionally, she depicts the characters developing understanding of themselves and their world. The characters both grow and find their "core". On a philosophical level, it touches on sexuality, motivations, religion. And then there is the story: I was surprised to find myself gripped by the middle of the book by what the characters were going to do next, having been "set up". Scatty, sensuous Dora in the woods at night alone with young Toby.... and a bell... Definately worth reading. I would have loved to have seen the BBC's dramatization of it!


Review of 'The Bell'.....   December 30, 2001
 8 out of 15 found this review helpful

So you're thinking about buying the book...

I would say that this book is a good read for all you book lovers out there. It pays great attention to detail on scenery and each individual character's thoughts and feelings. Murdoch makes you feel like you're THERE where the action is.

A little dated, it looks at issues such as homosexuality 60 years ago, when the subject raised a few eyebrows!

Although the reading can get a little tedious (which is why I haven't given it 5 stars), the ending makes up for the hard work.

A great book to study - there are many juxtaposed links in the story which are interesting to look at and to write about.

Overall, a harmless delve into other people's lives (and their way of living).