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  <title><![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]></description>
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  <original_title>A Fairly Honourable Defeat (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)</original_title>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.05</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
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  <date_added>Thu Apr 03 12:04:36 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 03 12:12:48 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I love Iris Murdoch. This is not my favorite, but I do like it a good deal. I would have given this three and half stars if I could; since I wasn't able to, I let my adoration for Tallis and Simon determine my decision. In many Iris Murdoch books you kind of dislike most of the characters. This was ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19381788">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19381788]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Jana]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone who wants something different from the New York Times best seller list]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[I found it unread on my shelf]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 24 15:16:40 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Mar 24 15:20:45 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[What an amazing classic!  Murdock was a brilliant woman and her writing and philosophizing is proof of that.  This book is an amazing look at dialogue and character development almost totally through dialogue.  I've been reading so many modern books that it was a treat to read a classic again.  The ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18538220">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18538220]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>57861293</id>
    <user>
    <id>1199525</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Cecily]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Buckinghamshire, The United Kingdom]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jun 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 30 11:07:24 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jun 21 06:07:05 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a tangled web set in the late 60s, concerning Rupert and Hilda; their 20 year old drop-out son Peter; Rupert’s younger brother Simon and his boyfriend Axel; Hilda’s unstable younger sister Morgan and her estranged husband Tallis and her former lover (and college friend of Rupert and Axel...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57861293">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57861293]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57861293]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>39079240</id>
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    <id>1005330</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Nancy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 01 20:24:58 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 01 20:33:11 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book motivated me to post, something I haven't done in too longIt's addictive, almost a little soap opera-ish, but has such great themes and Murdoch's luscious writing. You find yourself swooning for the lifestyle of this comfy British couple, while having contempt for them and their pseudo-lib...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39079240">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39079240]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39079240]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>24267882</id>
    <user>
    <id>1077815</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ann-Marie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New Haven, CT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1077815-ann-marie]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309m/11234.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Steve Swanberg gave it to me as a gift.]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jun 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jun 11 15:16:52 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 15 06:04:52 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The first few pages made me feel like a blind person at a play, for there was a lot of dialogue and blessed few cues of the type “he said” or “she replied” so that I felt a little lost and had to go back to reread lines and figure out which character was saying what. After the first chapter,...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24267882">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24267882]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24267882]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>20306803</id>
    <user>
    <id>1088114</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sassy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Memphis, TN]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1088114-sassy]]></link>
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  <isbn>0141186178</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Andria]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Apr 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 16 12:04:33 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 16 12:04:33 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[It took me a long time to read this book. I picked it up and put it down several times, which is unusual for me. The extent to which I find most British fictional characters tolerable is inversely proportionate to the age of the book. This is a relatively modern novel, set in the 1970s, so the chara...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20306803">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20306803]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20306803]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>18559374</id>
    <user>
    <id>4825</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Xio]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Philadelphia, PA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4825-xio]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309m/11234.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 24 19:53:26 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Apr 14 12:58:08 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I am through Part One of this novel and am not afraid to admit-- without having read the introduction -- being currently infatuated with a character in the book, Julius.<br/><br/>O Julius! I swoon each time you diagnose humanity as being filled with self serving illusions! I adore Iris' manner of ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18559374">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18559374]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18559374]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2757872</id>
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    <id>42411</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Medford, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/42411-eric-simpson]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">336160</id>
  <isbn>0099285339</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780099285335</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">3</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/336160.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.00</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>11</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Introduction by Susan Hill<br/><br/>In this dark comedy of errors, Julius, a cynical intellectual, decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 1994</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 05 21:20:14 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 05 21:20:48 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Murdoch's ability to immerse the reader into the story is stunning. Her writing flows with an erudite patience, intermingling an objective third person point-of-view with profound subjective inquiry. The result of her beautiful writing is a rich and fertile text, worthy of several readings, which is...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2757872">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2757872]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2757872]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>23628366</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Michelle]]></name>
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  <isbn>0141186178</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780141186177</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">31</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
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  <published>1970</published>
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  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jun 03 14:49:42 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 22 15:19:36 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[It’s so dark it makes me uncomfortable.  Julius, an evil intellectual, finds humanity deplorable.  He thinks people idiotic to cherish their beloved “relationships” when they can so easily be dismantled.  To amuse himself he decides to demonstrate how fragile relationships are within his group...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23628366">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23628366]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>15497342</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sun Sep 14 23:16:22 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Feb 15 10:45:19 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Sep 14 23:16:22 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is my first Iris Murdoch novel. I'd heard it mentioned by some serious book geeks (Nancy Pearl and a book shop owner she was talking to on her podcast) as an all time favorite. (They might have been specifically talking about the dialogue, I'm not sure anymore.) I had no idea what to expect whe...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15497342">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15497342]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>47886223</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Ali]]></name>
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  <id type="integer">830688</id>
  <isbn>0140033327</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
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  <average_rating>4.00</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>4</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Introduction by Susan Hill<br/><br/>In this dark comedy of errors, Julius, a cynical intellectual, decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Mar 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Mar 01 09:11:12 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Mar 05 23:31:58 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A dark and compelling tale of good and evil. Julius is a puppet master who skillfully manages to disrupt the lives of those around him. With cunning cynism he weaves around these previously happy people a drama that has them each acting to Julius's will. A real pager turner from Murdoch, this one. I...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47886223">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47886223]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47886223]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>38260239</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Manny]]></name>
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  <isbn>0141186178</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun May 01 00:00:00 -0700 1977</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 20 16:37:13 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 29 09:46:08 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>2</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[OK, it's not really the great novel it sets out to be, but it's very entertaining. Julius King is one of my all-time favorite bad guys. Go Julius! Destroy that relationship! Drive that man to madness and despair! Cut up that dress! Do the washing-up! Sort of a high-brow Hannibal Lecter-lite, as it w...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38260239">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38260239]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38260239]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>52433081</id>
    <user>
    <id>2212233</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Maela]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lafayette, CO]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2212233-maela]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">31</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309m/11234.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Apr 12 17:36:56 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Apr 12 17:40:24 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Murdoch's characters are exquisitely developed, with all of the subtle nuances and complexities of real people. I love that about her writing. Another thing about Murdoch's work that I enjoy is the philosophical depth of the conversations and thoughts in which her characters engage. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52433081]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52433081]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1841319</id>
    <user>
    <id>124859</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Nick]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Yorktown Heights, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/124859-nick-mendoza]]></link>
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  <isbn>0141186178</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309m/11234.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 11 06:00:10 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Sep 08 06:55:32 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[this was my first iris murdoch book and i think i may be in love. this story is a complex social drama full of incisive psychological and philosophical insights and richly detailed descriptions. unlike many modern novelists, murdoch does not write to put herself on display, opting instead to tell a ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1841319">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1841319]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1841319]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>61631907</id>
    <user>
    <id>1191068</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Bill]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>
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  <isbn>0141186178</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780141186177</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">31</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309m/11234.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jun 30 09:53:39 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jun 30 09:55:00 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Not Iris' best (The Sea, The Sea) but it moved me for a portrait of a gay relationship and for its warning of not playing God with other people's lives]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61631907]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61631907]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>4728103</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Sarah]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[East Lansing, MI]]></location>
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  <isbn>0141186178</isbn>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">31</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309m/11234.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166465309s/11234.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234.A_Fairly_Honourable_Defeat</link>
  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 18 07:15:31 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 20 19:44:20 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Iris Murdoch never ceases to amaze me, and A Fairly Honourable Defeat is no exception. She takes what could be a tragic story of deception, unrealized dreams, and marital infidelity, and turns the tables in such a way that the victims seem to deserve all they receive and the aggressors appear innoce...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4728103">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4728103]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4728103]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>8348363</id>
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    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
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  <read_at>Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Oct 28 09:50:24 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 28 09:55:54 -0700 2007</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[The introduction by Peter J. Reed was exceptionally instructive to me in an exceedingly pragmatic way (in contrast to Mary Kinzie's introduction in &quot;The Sea, The Sea&quot; which is helpful in a completely different way).  Of all the Murdoch novels I have read, this is perhaps my favorite so far...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8348363">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>81655086</id>
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  <isbn>0099285339</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780099285335</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">3</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Introduction by Susan Hill<br/><br/>In this dark comedy of errors, Julius, a cynical intellectual, decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
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  <read_at>Sat Dec 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 21 09:39:37 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Dec 26 10:39:48 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Took me a while to get into it but then I was fascinated.]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>2286</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Courtney]]></name>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">31</text_reviews_count>
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    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Brit Lit Lovers]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 18 10:10:16 -0800 2006</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 18 14:07:27 -0800 2006</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Dame Iris was a master of the themes of good, evil, and love in all its fallibility.  She was a philosopher, influenced by Plato and Sartre, among others.  Her books often explore morality, and she has been called a moral realist.  That said, this book is a dark comedy of errors.  Julius, the centra...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2286">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2286]]></url>
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    <![CDATA[A Fairly Honourable Defeat]]>
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  <average_rating>4.04</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>258</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1970</published>
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  <read_at>Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 25 11:03:14 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 25 11:04:54 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I read this for my 20th Century British novels class, and I really enjoyed it. It's almost all dialogue, which I like, and it's all about people's relationships and personalities. This one dude decides he can screw up the strongest couple's relationship with little to no effort without only a few da...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13526607">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13526607]]></url>
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