Under the Net – Iris Murdoch

Her first novel, originally published in Great Britain in 1954. A book both comic and serious, Under the Net documents Jake Donaghue's somewhat aimless progress following his expulsion from his current place of residence. At the beginning of the novel, Jake finds himself in limbo. He doesn't appear to be very involved in the world around him. His actions seem aimless, but soon take direction as he searches for a new place to live, seeks old friends and follows-up on a number of coincidences. Additionally, Jake is jobless and considers a number of possibilities to acquire income, most of which come about as he rekindles relations with his former acquaintances and lovers.

The writing and dialogue are impeccable, and the stories read easily. The descriptions of her characters, in particular, shine, as in this exchange between Jake and Sammy:

      "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.
      I wasn't quite ready for this, and felt let down. "Don't you want to fight?" I replied, with irritation.
      Sammy stared at me, and then broke into a roar of laughter. "My, my!" he said. "Whatever gave you that idea. You're Donaghue, aren't you? Here, have a lotion." And quick as a flash he put a glass of whiskey into my free hand. You can imagine what a fool I felt, with the whiskey in one hand and my belt in the other.
      When I had reorganized myself, I said, hoping that I didn't sound sheepish, "I suppose you're Starfield?" I felt thoroughly at a loss. I suspected that it ought to be up to me whether we fought or not. I certainly didn't want to fight but I had let Sammy get the initiative now, and no mistake, and I hated that too.
      "That's me" said Sammy, "and you're young Donaghue. Well, what a fire-eater!" and he went off into another explosion of laughter. I took a gulp of whiskey and put on my belt, endeavoring to wear the expression of one who, contrary to appearances, is master of the situation.

It's exceptional because the image of Sammy, his manner and character, is quite clear. I like him and I like the way he talks. I can imagine what this older gambler who stole Jake's girlfriend from him looks like. I also get a nice sense of Jake. His thoughts as he drinks the whiskey and puts his belt capture his approach to the world around him, show that he is trying to make a good show and that he knows what is going even if he doesn't.

It's difficult to say exactly what I like so much about Iris Murdoch novels, but this is the third book of hers that I've read and I gobble them up. I never feel overwhelmed with philosophy or pretense and simply slip into the worlds she has created. Finally, her novels are always surprising, but I'll leave the surprises for your own discovery.