IRIS MURDOCH'S PEOPLE
"The scrupulous detail relating to the hundreds of characters who inhabit Iris Murdoch's twenty-six novels is not the only remarkable product of Boddington's A to Z. Its accomplishment also lies in an equally detailed knowledge of their historical, political, philosophical and cultural contexts. Access to this material will expedite and enrich future research into Murdoch's novels allowing more nuanced critical analyses of her complex narratives. The appearance of the A to Z comes at a fortuitious time in Murdoch scholarship, for this decade is the most fruitful yet with regard to fresh primary resource material that now includes forty years of Murdoch's personal journals. Boddington's itemizing of Murdoch's characters and their world, so lovingly detailed, is also a distinguished gift to Murdoch scholarship and together these research materials will invigorate Murdoch studies for decades to come. Indeed the significance of detail in understanding the truth of humanity is voiced by one of Murdoch's most truthful characters at the close of her first novel, Under the Net: an exasperated Hugo Belfounder attempts to enlighten the benighted Jake Donaghue by reminding him that it is not the application of all-encompassing theories to situations that leads to the perception of truth but detail, lovingly observed: 'God,' says Hugo, 'is detail. It all lies close to your hand'."
Anne Rowe, Universities of Chichester and Kingston. Author of many published books on Iris Murdoch and her works.
“An excellent addition to Murdoch scholarship” – Prof Bran Nicol, Univ of Surrey, England
“The book that every Iris Murdoch scholar will want on their shelves” – Dr Gillian Dooley, Flinders Univ, Australia
“An indispensible tool for Murdochian scholars and a godsend to general readers” – Prof Paul Hullah, Meiji Gaikwin Univ, Japan
Lively, prodigious catalog of Murdoch’s characters” – Prof J Robert Baker, Fairmount State, USA
“The range of references leaves nothing to be desired” – Prof Anne Rowe, Kingston Univ, London England
"This is the book that every Iris Murdoch fan will enjoy immersing themselves in and that every Iris Murdoch scholar will want on their shelves. It will provide hours of pleasurable browsing for the Iris Murdoch afficionado while at the same time becoming an essential resource for research into her novels."
"This book will be an indespensible tool for Murdochian scholars and a godsend to general readers worldwide. Literally encyclopaedic, this publication marks a crucial mapping of Iris Murdoch's densely-populated and intellectually-intertextual fictions."
"This book is going to be an excellent addition to Iris Murdoch scholarship and also a hugely enjoyable read for those who are interested in her work. This guide should enable readers to orient themselves in 'Murdoch land' and also make for some interesting internal connection to emerge. It defamiliarizes the work in interesting ways."
"Christopher Boddington provides a tremendous service for scholars and admirers of Iris Murdoch's fiction. His lively, prodigious catalogue of her characters and meticulous loving descriptions of them, supplemented with similar lists of animals and places that appear in Iris Murdoch's fiction will please and assist readers make their way through her profusion of characters. Iris Murdoch herself surely would have delighted in this magnificent abecedary."
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