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Under the net
First published 1961 · 528 pages
A sparkling, philosophical romp through mid-century bohemian London alongside a charmingly aimless intellectual.
What it feels like
Reading this novel feels like spending a long, slightly inebriated evening in a mid-century London pub with a brilliant but hopelessly disorganized friend. The narrative moves at a brisk, picaresque clip, pulling you through a vibrant, bohemian world where frantic philosophers and eccentric artists collide in increasingly absurd ways. Beneath the farcical surface and sparkling, erudite prose lies a deeply thoughtful exploration of truth, language, and the messy reality of human connection. The mood is both wryly satirical and surprisingly tender, capturing the existential drifting of youth with sharp wit and genuine affection. It is a perfect match for readers who delight in intellectual comedies, charmingly flawed protagonists, and the beautiful, chaotic struggle to find one's purpose.
- Mood
- bohemian
- absurdist
- intellectual
- vibrant
- Tone
- wry
- satirical
- philosophical
- witty
- tender
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- existential drifting · the limits of language · artistic integrity · absurdity of human connection · illusion vs. reality
- The writing
- Sparkling and erudite, effortlessly balancing dense philosophical inquiry with sharp, farcical physical comedy.
- The arc
- Moves from cynical, aimless detachment to a quiet, grounded acceptance of life's messy realities and one's own creative potential.
- Who it's for
- Lovers of mid-century British satire who delight in charmingly flawed intellectuals stumbling through existential crises and bohemian misadventures.
Content notes
- alcohol consumption
- existential angst
About the book
Iris Murdoch's first novel.Iris Murdoch's first novel is a gem - solid and sparkling. Set in a part of London, where struggling writers rub shoulders with successful bookies, and film starlets with frantic philosophers. Its hero, Jake Donaghue, is a drifting, clever, likeable young man who makes a living out of translation work and sponging on his friends. Meeting again, after some years, an old flame, Anna, he is led into a series of fantastic adventures. Iris Murdoch has wit, great power of invention and a knack for producing absurd incidents with a serious undertone and tender episodes with an edge of satire. Robust, full of flavour and panache, here is one of those rare novels which equally make one laugh and make one think.
Description from Open Library.
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