Product Description

Exploring biblical and medieval themes in a contemporary London setting, the story of two brothers, a murder gone awry, and the outrageous demands of a stranger is filled with symbolism, humor, and suspense. Reprint. NYT.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123937 in Books
• Published on: 1995-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This 25th novel from the British philosopher-novelist imbues contemporary London with biblical themes in a story involving one man's attempts to murder his half-brother.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Though it starts slowly, this philosophical novel soon envelops the reader in a Byzantine plot that weaves around nine characters. Peter Mir, the "Green Knight" of the title, is nearly killed when he intervenes to protect Clement Graffe from being murdered by Graffe's half-brother, Lucas. Mir mysteriously reappears and demands reparation from Lucas, provoking various responses from the two brothers and their circle of friends: Harvey Blacket; Bellamy Jones; the three Anderson sisters, Aleph, Sefton, and Moy; and their mother, Louise. As in other Murdoch novels, part of the exposition is a religious quest. Murdoch is skilled at keeping the reader turning the pages while allowing the characters to discuss and experience such weighty issues as guilt and redemption, revenge and transformation, and virtue and moral perfection. This is a superb novel, with great depth of plot and characterization as well as riveting suspense.
- Ann Irvine, Montgomery Cty. P.L., Md.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The Green Knight is, after all, an Iris Murdoch novel--which means it's painstaking and ruminative as it explores the murky waters of loss and redemption. But unlike many of her recent novels, this one doesn't drag; it takes wing with a sounder perception of human frailties and strengths, a keener sense of construction, and a lovelier style than she's been exhibiting lately. Joan and Louise live in London and have been friends for years, and the plot revolves around them and their network of family and friends. Two of the latter are brothers Lucas and Clement, who've been involved in a peculiar incident. It seems that Lucas, out of self-protection, killed a man who was trying to mug him. The truth of the matter is far more complex and serious. The reality is that Lucas was attempting to kill his brother when the other man intervened, although he did not actually die as a result (unknown to Lucas and Clement and most everyone else, including the newspaper-reading public). This man comes back into Lucas' life demanding justice for Lucas' assault, and the result is that not only are the brothers' lives altered forever by his actions, but so are those of Joan and Louise and everyone else in their crowd. A novel of intelligence and heart, appealing to Murdoch's audience or to any lover of serious literature. Brad Hooper

Customer Reviews

Beautiful- that's what I said when I was finished
A beautiful finish to this novel. It was spotty in parts, and I frequently wondered if early 90's British teens and early 20's talked and thought like that, but the finish was so well-rounded, so unexpected that I am left with a wonderful taste in my mouth.

The going is slow initially- I was reminded of D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" because I just *didn't like those people*. I really didn't. I couldn't stand Joan, didn't like Bellamy, thought Harvey was vapid, and the Cliftonians unreal. I stuck around long enough to get to know them, and changed my attitude about some of them. I even became so involved that I was cheered by some of the mistakes being made right- especially when it came to the dog. I wanted to help correct things, and to influence people.

At times, I wondered who the novel was about. Was it Peter? Kind of- Peter transformed people, or so we assumed. (but did he?) Maybe it was the Cliftonians because they featured prominently? No, overall, events happened to them, but they didn't cause them. I thought for awhile that it was about Lucas, and in a way it was. Lucas was quite a force for "the family", even though he was so rarely present. The novel even starts with his absence. But how could a novel be about an absent person? It doesn't matter though- it is about any of them and all of them. The marriages may have been a contrivance, but they were nice, some made sense, and others leave us with a lot to wonder about.

Iris Murdoch is a wonderful writer, and weaves a beautiful web with unexpected moments. Even when I forget the action of a novel, I remember the feeling she left me with.

another fine novel from Iris Murdoch
While this novel is not as well constructed as "The Bell," it is still a fine novel. There is an obvious reference to the story of Gawain and his nemesis in the novel, a reference which is made explicit by a couple of the characters in the narrative. The ending, with its multiple marriages, is a little over the top in terms of contrivance; but, as Ms. Murdoch said herself in interviews -- in a passage quoted by the news wire after her death -- her novels have a beginning, middle, and end, which is more than we can say for most overtly "literary" novels these days. A great novel.

Fascinating late Murdoch
Iris Murdoch's compelling next-to-last novel does show some evidence of the Alzheimer's disease that would soon destroy her mental faculties (and would also, if what I've read is right, become considerably more evident in her final novel, "Jackson's Dilemma").

The opening pages are rather strange; she seems to have given up on introducing the characters one or two at a time. It's rather overwhelming to have so many character names and relationships thrown at you so quickly. But stick with it, even if you have to read those first few pages a couple of times. If you do, you will soon find yourself completely caught up in this fascinating and continually surprising story. Here and there are some clumsily phrased and bizarrely punctuated sentences, and there's even a rather odd inconsistency (Murdoch tells us that one character has brown eyes on one page and then he has blue eyes eyes a bit later). Perhaps Murdoch sensed that the end of her career was at hand--after all, she was in her 70s when she wrote this. I can't help but feel that Murdoch's urgent need to tell this story while she still could led her to dispense with polishing it. Despite the sloppiness that is a bit bothersome occasionally, Murdoch's ability to spin a fascinating tale is as strong as ever, perhaps even stronger, and this book very quickly becomes compulsively readable.

Overall, the story couldn't be more typical of Murdoch: A group of well-educated Londoners, most of whom are searching for love or redemption or both, suddenly have to deal with a powerful and charismatic stranger who turns their world upside down. I could go into more detail, but I don't want to spoil it for you. All I will say is that Murdoch's vision seems, in the end, a bit less dark than usual. Redemption really seems possible this time.

This might not be the place to start if you've never read Murdoch before. Better choices might include "A Fairly Honourable Defeat," "The Black Prince," "The Sacred and Profane Love Machine," or "The Book and the Brotherhood." But if you're a Murdoch fan who hasn't read this one yet, it's a must-read.