The Book and the Brotherhood

The Book and the Brotherhood

infobox Book |
name = The Book and the Brotherhood
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Iris Murdoch
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre =
publisher = Chatto & Windus
release_date = 1987
english_release_date =
media_type = Print
pages = 601pp
isbn = ISBN 0701132515
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The Book and the Brotherhood" is the 23rd novel of Iris Murdoch, first published in 1987. Considered by some critics to be among her best novels, is the story of a group of close friends living in England in the 1980s. The book of the title is a theoretical work on Marxism, supposed to have been written by David Crimond, an exile from this circle of friends. After graduating from Oxford University, the protagonists banded together to finance Crimond in writing the book. He never produced it, yet out of a sense of duty this brotherhood continues to pay him a stipend each year.

Plot introduction

That is the backstory. When the novel opens, Crimond has resurfaced, book nearly finished. His sudden appearance sets off a chain of events that nearly destroys the lives of everyone in the story.

Major themes

Crimond is a classic example of Murdoch's "enchanter" archetype: the charismatic, powerful man who inspires others to devote themselves to him, for reasons apparent to no one.

"The Book and the Brotherhood" is notable for its unusual emotional intensity, its finely-drawn characters, and the magnificent, wide-ranging opening scene, in which Crimond appears at an Oxford ball and every major character in the novel is introduced.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Brotherhood of Satan — Infobox Film name = The Brotherhood of Satan image size = caption = Movie Poster Tagline: A demon spirit of madness and murder holds a California town in the grip of terror. director = Bernard McEveety producer = L. Q. Jones Alvy Moore writer = L …   Wikipedia

  • The Brotherhood of the Rose — Infobox Book name = The Brotherhood of the Rose title orig = translator = image caption = author = David Morrell illustrator = cover artist = country = United States language = English series = subject = genre = spy thriller publisher = St.… …   Wikipedia

  • Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (novel) — infobox Book | name = Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade title orig = translator = image caption = author = Diana Gabaldon cover artist = country = United States language = English series = Lord John Grey series (book 2) genre =… …   Wikipedia

  • The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism — The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, by Emmanuel Goldstein, is the fictional book that is a thematic and plot element integral to the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty Four (1949), by George Orwell. In the totalitarian society of… …   Wikipedia

  • Brotherhood of Nod — The Brotherhood of Nod , often referred to simply as Nod or The Brotherhood , is a fictional faction which is featured prominently in the Command Conquer franchise of real time strategy video games by Westwood Studios and Electronic Arts Los… …   Wikipedia

  • Brotherhood — Brotherhood, with the direct meaning of the state of being a brother come first* A fraternity, a social organization for undergraduate students * A sodality in religion * A Boy Scouts of America Order of the Arrow membership level * Ahva, a… …   Wikipedia

  • The Order of Christ Sophia — (OCS) is a Christian organization that was founded in 1999. The OCS describes itself as a holy order and spiritual school that offers training in the doctrines of Christian mysticism.[1] The OCS shares beliefs with two very distinct movements,… …   Wikipedia

  • The Emberverse series — is set of alternate history, post apocalyptic books written by S. M. Stirling. The novels focus on the events after something called The Change , which caused electricity, guns, explosives, internal combustion engines and steam power to stop… …   Wikipedia

  • The Church —     The Church     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Church     The term church (Anglo Saxon, cirice, circe; Modern German, Kirche; Sw., Kyrka) is the name employed in the Teutonic languages to render the Greek ekklesia (ecclesia), the term by which… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — Developer(s) Bethesda Game Studios Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”