The Bell

 

I first became aware of Iris Murdoch through Roger Ebert's review of the movie Iris on his show. He said that the movie didn't give the author her due. He mentioned he was a fan. Despite this, I didn't read an Iris Murdoch book till much later. This is my second time reading this book. There are two storylines one involving a gay priest named Michael who goes through turmoil after he realizes he is in love with two boys Toby and Nick, although they are both at different times in his life. Then there is Dora who is married to an older man Paul who she merely tolerates. Toby and Dora uncover an old bell. They try to replace the ancient bell with the new one. This is kind of lengthy. A.S. Byatt wore an introduction for one of the editions and I'm actually interested in what she has to say. I've got to read more books by Iris.