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The Bell

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Vintage Classics Murdoch: Funny, subversive, fearless and fiercely intelligent, Iris Murdoch was one of the great writers of the 20th century. To celebrate her centenary, Vintage Classics presents special editions of her greatest and most timeless novels.

A lay community of thoroughly mixed-up people is encamped outside Imber Abbey, home of an enclosed order of nuns. A new bell, legendary symbol of religion and magic, is rediscovered. Dora Greenfield, erring wife, returns to her husband. Michael Mead, leader of the community, is confronted by Nick Fawley, with whom he had disastrous homosexual relations, while the wise old Abbess watches and prays and exercises discreet authority. And everyone, or almost everyone, hopes to be saved whatever that may mean... Iris Murdoch's funny and sad novel is about religion, the fight between good and evil and the terrible accidents of human frailty.

©1958 Iris Murdoch (P)2011 Penguin Audio Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Marriage Thought-Provoking Funny
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Well written all the way to the end, every chapter has a memorable moment, so easy to flip back over the chapters.
The narrator Miriam Margolyes, inspired me to finish this book, thank you.

Love this book

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The narrator drove and owned this. Brilliantly read with such feeling. The story itself highlights so many injustices and suffering but still manages to give life to human choices. I was quite lost in it.

Beautiful story and beautifully read

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I agree with the others that Miriam Margolyes should read all of Murdoch’s books. I loved this. Recognised as one of Murdoch’s greatest novels or is beautifully written and gorgeously narrated - I wish Margolyes had narrated The Message to the Planet as well

Great novel read perfectly

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I felt as if I knew and cared about all the characters excellently narrated I loved the story.

A great story

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I love Iris Murdoch's books and I really enjoyed this. The characters are very well fleshed out and all are treated with insight and even-handedness by Murdoch. They are often capable of surprising the reader in ways still entirely consistent with their character. The tension increases in the last third of the book. It was published in 1958 so it's set in the not-so-distant English past. Miriam Margolyes reads it well and suits the book.

Wonderful story

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