bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
I recall reading some Murdoch in my teens and not particularly liking it. I've since thought of her as one of those writers I've tried and rejected, which is really not true at all. Of course I didn't like her at seventeen, I was busy making mixed tapes. So when this filthy, stained copy of The Nice and the Good beckoned to me at the library, I took it home, and now I'm all excited. It was good! Does that mean all her writing is good? Do I have a multitude of good novels left to discover? Is this the beginning of a Murdoch era?
There's a large cast of characters in this novel, and they're all falling in love with each other, having affairs and trying to end them. John Ducane, the main character, is one of those infuriating people who spend all their time mulling over how to be good, instead of just being good. You know, the kind who tries to leave his lover but chickens out because he doesn't want to hurt her poor fragile feelings. So he throws her a mercyfuck and then feels really bad about it. As if your feeling bad somehow makes you a good person, Ducane! It doesn't! Um, yeah, I really hate that kind of condescending reasoning. But Murdoch is so excellent a writer that she makes Ducane more nuanced than that, and in the end I found him fairly sympathetic.
Oh, and she also weaves in a plot about a suicide at the ministry where Ducane works. Turns out the poor guy had been enjoying satanic rituals in the basement involving naked girls and dead pigeons, and now Ducane has to clean up his mess. Yup, dark rites in the midst of all the lovey-dovey and sexy times, and it works really well.
Now, there's a lot more to the book than that, but I'll let others delve into the delicate moral and philosophical dilemmas presented in it. I'm still a little embarrassed over this late discovery, and will go see what to read next.
There's a large cast of characters in this novel, and they're all falling in love with each other, having affairs and trying to end them. John Ducane, the main character, is one of those infuriating people who spend all their time mulling over how to be good, instead of just being good. You know, the kind who tries to leave his lover but chickens out because he doesn't want to hurt her poor fragile feelings. So he throws her a mercyfuck and then feels really bad about it. As if your feeling bad somehow makes you a good person, Ducane! It doesn't! Um, yeah, I really hate that kind of condescending reasoning. But Murdoch is so excellent a writer that she makes Ducane more nuanced than that, and in the end I found him fairly sympathetic.
Oh, and she also weaves in a plot about a suicide at the ministry where Ducane works. Turns out the poor guy had been enjoying satanic rituals in the basement involving naked girls and dead pigeons, and now Ducane has to clean up his mess. Yup, dark rites in the midst of all the lovey-dovey and sexy times, and it works really well.
Now, there's a lot more to the book than that, but I'll let others delve into the delicate moral and philosophical dilemmas presented in it. I'm still a little embarrassed over this late discovery, and will go see what to read next.
bhocken8's review against another edition
4.0
Unexpectedly funny, at points. Precisely, i think, because Murdoch just gets 'it', the mysteries of life and human nature. This is seen in the, at times, diminutive idiosyncrasies of her characters. The reader recognises the unrecognisable parts of the individual human nature. Henceforth, the comedy is created, egoistical recognition lying at the heart of a great deal of comedy.
oliviafarrington's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This felt like the first novelistic novel I had read for ages - some of it felt stuffy and repressed and Enid blyton-y (maybe they just have a picnic at some point), but I found the characters charming and likeable in that familiar way too. And it’s philosophical edge made it different (this is the first Iris Murdoch book I’ve read). The murder plot was less interesting to me that the romantic crises distracting Ducane and others around him - like I would rather more time spent on characters than resolving the plot by the end. Kind of funny at times (‘ready kate?’ ‘ready!’)
crko's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Everyone's in love all the time. Meanwhile the writer, the philosopher, has infused the story with a moral, but what is it? "the point is that nothing matters except loving what is good. Not to look at evil but to look at good. Only this contemplation breaks the tyranny of the past, breaks the adherence of evil to the personality, breaks, in the end, the personality itself. In the light of the good, evil can be seen in its place, not owned, just existing, in its place." As Theo formulates it (355-356)
I thought the characters were a little difficult to sympathise with (except the twins) But the story has its own movement and it just moves forward, folding you in it.
I thought the characters were a little difficult to sympathise with (except the twins) But the story has its own movement and it just moves forward, folding you in it.
eskimonika's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gracklefan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kweekwegg's review against another edition
3.0
This is a well-written novel, but for me it's nothing more than that. The way I've been thinking of it is that it has convinced me to continue reading Murdoch, however I know I'm not going to reread this particular book, or really ever recommend it to anyone. Though I did enjoy it -- the experience was fun in general, just a little light and airy and not really anything amazing.
tracey_s's review against another edition
4.0
When the mysterious Radeechy kills himself at the office, he unknowingly sparks a whirlwind of emotion and intrigue in London and Dorset, during a stifling long summer.
Poor, genial Octavian is left the tedious task of investigating the incident and wastes no time in delagating it to worrisome John Ducane.
Although Ducane is introduced as the fancy man of Kate, Octavian's wife, on her terms and amongst her family of misfits and strays in Dorset, it can be argued that he is the moral centre of the novel. He navigates through the broken relationships of himself and his friends and keeps a steady hand in uncovering the truth behind the magical affairs at Whitehall.
This novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 1969 and although the writing plants it clearly in this time period, the story feels fresh and relevant still.
Poor, genial Octavian is left the tedious task of investigating the incident and wastes no time in delagating it to worrisome John Ducane.
Although Ducane is introduced as the fancy man of Kate, Octavian's wife, on her terms and amongst her family of misfits and strays in Dorset, it can be argued that he is the moral centre of the novel. He navigates through the broken relationships of himself and his friends and keeps a steady hand in uncovering the truth behind the magical affairs at Whitehall.
This novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 1969 and although the writing plants it clearly in this time period, the story feels fresh and relevant still.