A Word Child [Kindle Edition]

Iris Murdoch (Author)

Book Description

 

A brilliant but deeply flawed man struggles to earn absolution

 

Hilary Burde was a rising star in academia until a tragic accident plunged him and his mentor and rival, Gunnar Jopling, into two decades of depression and guilt. Hilary, unable to overcome his pain, abandoned his promising career for an unfulfilling job as a civil servant. But at age forty-one, Hilary crosses paths again with Gunnar—initiating a series of events that will change their lives forever.

 

Set against a richly drawn backdrop of post-war London, A Word Child is a gripping story of passion and the redemptive power of love.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Vivid . . . discriminating prose.” —The New York Times

“Marvelous . . . riveting . . . fine and elegant.” —The Los Angeles Times

From the Inside Flap

Introduction by Ray Monk

Saved by education from a delinquent childhood, cheated of Oxford by a tragic love tangle, Hilary Burde cherishes his obsessive guilt and disappointment in a dull civil service job. When the man whom he has betrayed reappears as head of his department, Hilary hopes for forgiveness and a new life, but finds himself haunted by a ghostly repetition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 985 KB
• Print Length: 418 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0099429128
• Publisher: Open Road Media (July 20, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003V4ASM2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,620 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 90 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars New Murdoch Fan January 2, 2001

By Sean ODWYER

Format:Paperback

The plot concerns a deeply unappealing and uncivil servant called Hilary whose current angst has arisen from, as the blurb puts it, "a tragic love tangle". I found the first third the book a little difficult to get through but what kept me turning pages was Murdoch's remarkable insight into human action. Once the reason for Hilary's abominable behavior becomes clear, you can't help but share Murdoch's empathy for him and, thereafter, the novel blooms and rips along with all the key relationships intertwining in increasingly intense ways. The conclusion is deeply satisfying on every level: dramatically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. This was my first sampling of Murdoch. She is a stunning writer and I'm very glad to have "discovered" her for myself.

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of the Best July 20, 2004

By J. A Bowen

Format:Paperback

Oh, Iris, how I miss you. I first began reading Iris Murdoch in college, for a Philosophy in Lit. class, and was immediately captivated by "A Severed Head", which remains high on my list of favorites. But it is "A Word Child" to which I return most often.

Iris Murdoch's breathtakingly simple and yet piercing prose is at its best in this novel. Her theme is obsession, as always, and while we cannot approve of Hilary, the narrator, we find ourselves liking him for his honesty and his uncompromising view of himself. At first I was disappointed with the outcome of this brilliant novel, then I realized it truly was redemptive. Anyone who adores stellar writing and an eye that sees straight into the human heart must own this novel.

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique style December 11, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I recently re-read "A Word Child" and was completely charmed by it. I hardly know where to begin listing its merits. Firstly it is good and true and seeks to make us better people in a very practical way. Too earnest for the 2000s? We shall see. Secondly it is beautiful and mystical and full of the poetry of human action. Thirdly it is humble and funny and messy and REAL. Reading Iris Murdoch is like reading no other modern author: how clear and generous her prose style is, how non-"tricksy". She was a great writer about London too: why do we forget this? I think her reputation is entirely secure as the greatest English novelist of her age and she will be read and loved by readers when many other flashier talents are long forgotton.

More About the Author

Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) was one of the most influential British writers of the twentieth century. She was awarded the 1978 Booker Prize for The Sea, The Sea, won the Royal Society Literary Award in 1987, and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1987 by Queen Elizabeth. Her final years were clouded by a long struggle with Alzheimer's before her passing in 1999.