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The Sacred and Profane Love Machine

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 512 ratings · 44 reviews

Swinging between his wife and his mistress in the sacred and profane love machine and between the charms of morality and the excitements of sin, the psychotherapist, Blaise Gavender, sometimes wishes he could divide himself in two. Instead, he lets loose misery and confusion and—for the spectators at any rate—a morality play, rich in reflections upon the paradoxes of human...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published March 6th 1984 by Penguin Books (first published 1974)

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Feb 13, 2013 Maureen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

i have an iris murdoch headache. she made me cry like she always does, and i feel vaguely like i've just eaten a huge piece of blue cheesecake, heavy and hypnotic in its dense richness, dotted with sour bits, not too sweet. her people are very real and audacious. they are crazy and they are convincing. i think, 'yes, this is very true, people are like that, damn them.'

i would argue that there's not really a main character in this novel but rather it concerns a coterie of characters: david and h...more i have an iris murdoch headache. she made me cry like she always does, and i feel vaguely like i've just eaten a huge piece of blue cheesecake, heavy and hypnotic in its dense richness, dotted with sour bits, not too sweet. her people are very real and audacious. they are crazy and they are convincing. i think, 'yes, this is very true, people are like that, damn them.'

i would argue that there's not really a main character in this novel but rather it concerns a coterie of characters: david and his parents harriet and blaise gavender; blaise's mistress, emily mchugh, their son luca; and the gavender's neighbour, the well-known author monty small, his dead wife sophie, his mother, and his old school chum edgar demarnay. playing smaller roles are constance pinn, and kiki st loy. these will be the people we come to know in the sacred and profane love machine. they eat and drink (they drink a helluva lot), they walk or kick dogs, they talk, they think, they love, they try to understand, they fight, they fantasize. this novel exudes sex even if it is a practically sexless outing compared to some of her other novels. i became attuned to the character's desires, rooting for them to sort out these messes they've created, the messes they are.

i'm know i'm reading iris murdoch, yet she does this to me every time: she begins by lulling me with the comforts of the domestic scene, only to begin to unravel it. then she whacks me over the head with her philosophizing, here trying to get to the truth of love through its dualities, even as she has harriet rescue another dog.

that's not to say the novel is perfect: monty's constant preoccupation about maybe trying to be a school master again might have some weight that i'm unaware of, but i did want him to shut up about it, regardless. sometimes there are passages like this. and sometimes it's just hard spending time with these characters, they can be quite hateful, even if artfully executed, it's difficult being with them. hence, the headache. i've seen other reviews complain about the ending. it didn't spoil the book for me, and i won't spoil it, but i'll admit she tricked me completely. i didn't see it coming but it didn't feel like a cop out. it felt real to me, even if i didn't especially like how things turned out. and that's why i continue to return to murdoch: though her words might make me sick, in my head and in my heart, i'm going to come back for more because they all seem so true.(less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Smcleish rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published on my blog here in November 2004.

A theme which runs through most, and possibly all, of Iris Murdoch's novels is that of love or affection which is misplaced or unequal. In The Sacred and Profane Love Machine, it is central to the novel, and it is a feature of all the relationships between the characters. So there is a mother whose teenage son is beginning to strain for independence; a man crippled by grief following the death of his wife; another man who is regretting the af...more Originally published on my blog here in November 2004.

A theme which runs through most, and possibly all, of Iris Murdoch's novels is that of love or affection which is misplaced or unequal. In The Sacred and Profane Love Machine, it is central to the novel, and it is a feature of all the relationships between the characters. So there is a mother whose teenage son is beginning to strain for independence; a man crippled by grief following the death of his wife; another man who is regretting the affair he has been carrying on for the last eight years, and so on.

The plot of the novel is basically the story of what happens when Blaise is driven to admit his affair - and small son - to his completely unsuspecting wife. This of course leads to dramatic changes in all the relationships depicted, which centre around the couple. There is little more to the novel than this; it is a study of character and relationships, and how they are transformed when this kind of cataclysm shatters their stable pattern. From a philosophical or psychological point of view, it is clear that Murdoch was interested in how character and relationships affect each other, and how circumstance affects them both. (This could also almost be suggested as the principal interest of the novel form itself.) It could be argued that the interplay between character and circumstance determines relationships, but Murdoch's view is a little more subtle, as characters are influenced and evolve through the action of the other components.

Unusually for an Iris Murdoch novel, there is not much discussion of religion in The Sacred and Profane Love Machine, despite its title (which is not one of Murdoch's best, in my opinion). I am not sure why this is, though she may well have felt that adding more would detract from the various elements already present. The "Sacred and Profane" of the title would then refer to the different kinds of love in the novel and their varying degrees of what might be termed legitimacy. No relationship which is as one sided as those depicted in The Sacred and Profane Love Machine could be considered totally legitimate; this is a work about the shades of grey that determine our perception of this measure, and about how much this perception could differ from the black and white ideas of legitimacy which tend to be used by society generally.

Initially, The Sacred and Profane Love Machine does not seem to be one of Murdoch's better novels. This feeling is perhaps initially prompted by the sub-hippy culture title, but it also begins in rather a dull way. It becomes interesting immediately on the cataclysmic revelation of Blaise's infidelity. It is definitely worth persevering with, but even so it is not up there with The Sea, the Sea, The Bell or Under the Net.(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Ugh rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't think I've ever read another book with quite such a convincingly fully-fleshed cast of characters. This is my first Murdoch, but I assume this ensemble psychological interplay stuff was her thing, seeing as she did it so well here. This is one of those books that makes you realise you could never be a writer, because some people really are just so damned good at it...

I can't say that I loved TSaPLM. It was engrossing as I was reading it, but whenever I put it down I felt disinclined to p...more

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Apr 28, 2010 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have tried Iris Murdoch's work several times and have always bogged down and given up. This one tempted me to do the same, since it's not the kind of novel that appeals to me--it has hardly any plot: it's more an agonizing situation, repetitively described from multiple characters' perspectives, with, finally, some actual events that precipitate a very surprising conclusion--one which Murdoch clearly enjoyed, since she fooled the reader with a false one near the end. One Goodreads reviewer com...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Emmett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction, literature, favorites

I loved how Murdoch probes into the thoughts and emotions of each character, her astounding clarity of writing be it in dealing with their emotions or mapping out the escalation of situations. Her analyses of relationships are sharp and incisive -- sometimes too much so, I feel, but it never feels contrived, rather as if these characters of hers had spent far too much time thinking about themselves and the state they are in than seems possible for such ordinary people. She writes sentiment and e...more

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Feb 19, 2007 Courtney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: britlit, fiction

Sacred and profane love. A man with 2 families - his "sacred", or legitimate family comprised of his wife and son David, and his "profane" comprised of his mistress and son Luca. These families slowly start to unravel and take the participants down with them. Exploration of the meaning of love and neverending quest for the heart's satisfaction.

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Oct 16, 2009 Ali added it

really enjoyed this, my latest trip through a Murdocian world, And this one is very Murdoch, so many of the things I have come to expect. One man Blaise is living a lie, has two families. His neighbour Monty, a writer, is dealing with his wife's death, not very well. Harriet, Blaise's wife has an unusual way of dealing with the situation. Blaise is very stupid, the other men all rather unsatisfactory in some way. A few marvelous scenes towards the end - including dogs going berserk, and a madma...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Rose Boehm rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just looked it up in our wonderful Wikipaedia and found that Iris Murdoch wrote 27 novels, the rest of her writings philosophy, plays and poetry. I haven't read them all, but by comparison The Sacred and Profane Love Machine stands out from the rest which is also excellent, of course. Well, what can I say about Iris Murdoch that hasn't been said before - and better.

What is so very enjoyable in any book by Iris Murdoch is how she uses her fast knowledge, studies, readings - in short her knowle...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Bistra Ivanova rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Аделина

Shelves: fiction

Много хубава книга! Въпреки че е роман от ~400 страници, ми се видя като пиеса - няколко герои, както обичам, нищо не разсейва от същността на нещата, концентрирани конфликти, хората се сблъскват едни с други и най-вече сами със себе си.
Доста паралели направих с "Лятото преди мрака" на Дорис Лесинг, явно и двете знаменити писателки-феминистки са ги вълнували същите неща.
Смислена литература! Обичам!

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Sep 21, 2009 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Murdoch is particularly sadistic in this novel, putting her characters through the emotional wringer and subjecting them to one ordeal after another. Some of them act from obvious motives; some for more obscure reasons, unknown even to themselves. As a reader I was enthralled, compelled to watch the drama unfold and to witness some truly uncomfortable scenes, as well as some very funny ones. One of Murdoch's gifts is to make the reader care so deeply about such essentially unloveable characters,...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Christian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While reading The Sacred and Profane Love Machine I could not contain my mind from whispering Zelda Fitzgerald’s quote:“Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.” . Iris Mudoch explores through her characters a world of pain and agony in contrast with inocence, each emotion being closely supervised by each one’s conscience... Child or adult, gullible or cynicle, characters choose to lie or to accept lies in order to maintain an ordinary life; until the unconceivable...more

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Mar 05, 2008 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Julia by: Fiona DeYoung

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ultimately, I liked the book. It is very British, and it took my a while to get into, but overall it was a decent book. It had a rather deus ex machina ending, which, for a book with such a title, seems quite appropriate. I don't stand by the comments below 100%, but I still feel that the book was largely concerned with the mechanical way in which people approach their lives and relationships, and their unwillingness/inability to break free of this and change. One character seems to break free f...more Ultimately, I liked the book. It is very British, and it took my a while to get into, but overall it was a decent book. It had a rather deus ex machina ending, which, for a book with such a title, seems quite appropriate. I don't stand by the comments below 100%, but I still feel that the book was largely concerned with the mechanical way in which people approach their lives and relationships, and their unwillingness/inability to break free of this and change. One character seems to break free from this machine, but the consequences are catastrophic, and we never really see whether the change was true and lasting.

***

2/27/08:
I'm 140 pages in and I can't decide if I like this book. I keep putting it down to do other things (check my email, look for replacement camera accessories...), which isn't a good sign.

So far, it appears to be about a man with two kept women (a wife and a mistress, neither of whom seems to have much autonomy) and their relationships. He has a child with each woman, which complicates matters. I'm wondering if it is going to turn out to be a commentary on the way people latch on to certain roles (gender or other), and their reluctance to change. The title and the themes of relationship as machine/human emotions as mechanical (which keep surfacing) seem to support this idea. If it turns out that this is the case, I will be delighted. If it doesn't, I fear I will feel I've wasted my time reading this book.

***

Thoughts at pg. 214 (2/29/08):
Each character in the book does seem to feel bound to what they see as the mechanical (and therefore inflexible) nature of interpersonal relationships and the world. BUT, each characters view of how the machine works is slightly different. So far none have come to the idea that the mechanical rules dominating their existence might not be universal, might actually be imposed by themselves and society, and none of them are really moving in that direction. What makes the book interesting is the way each character's perception of the machine flexes and shifts when it bumps up against someone else's perceptions, until both parties are able to make sense of the friction within the framework of their own sociological rules. They don't really understand each other, but they fit together neatly enough to convince themselves that they do. (less)

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Nov 29, 2010 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

All characters are, as in real life, duplicitous to some extent, but usually this is a matter of hiding what one thinks is one's true disgusting self from the world behind a shiny self-image. Here we have a character who deliberately lives out two lives, one comfortable and sheltered, the other unstable and thrilling, with hints of violence. Murdoch writes so well, and her characters are still quite substantial, so that I still have to give it 4 stars. This device is a little hackneyed, though.

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Mar 04, 2008 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Iris Murdoch never disappoints me. Another writer could take a situation like this, in which a married man who has been cheating on his wife with another woman for years confesses all, and it would be a ho-hum melodrama in which he leaves the wife, or ditches the mistress, and there would be nothing all that interesting about it. Murdoch never makes it that easy on anyone. Instead, the man tries to keep them both, and Murdoch throws in a son with each woman, a conniving friend of the mistress wh...more

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Sep 25, 2010 Kaloyana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Хубаво написана книга, но, за съжаление, нямаше нищо, което да ми е близко като емоция, начин на реагиране в определена ситуация, нито можах да открия характера, който харесвам, в някой от героите. Като цяло историята не ме трогна. Все пак бих прочела с удоволствие нещо друго от Айрис Мърдок.

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Nov 18, 2012 Bob Speechley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Iris Murdoch delves into the minds of the characters in this book in a remarkable exercise of exploration. The everyday thoughts and actions of these characters are developed by the author. How and why people react the way they do in diverse circumstances are exposed. Murdoch's characters and their behaviour are realistic making the book an enjoyable exercise in understanding humanity.

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Mar 24, 2012 Leanne Hunt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This is a novel which combines good storytelling with the shrewd eye of a philosopher. The author is a master of structure and balances her characters and their points of view so as never to judge outright. The book comes with a lengthy prologue which I consider essential reading for a full appreciation of the book, since there is simply too much depth to come at it unprepared.

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Dec 28, 2010 Wriju rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book explores the dual life of a man with his legitimate family and his illicit lover and their son. It is funny and explores the subject with maturity rather than sentimentality. Some parts of the book are truly insightful. Yet the conclusion of the book is a lit bit over-dramatized, and the book reduces to a caricature.

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Aug 13, 2009 Roy Macgregor rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an unusual book - about a man leading two lives with two women - Iris Murdoch had such a knack in writing about unusual events in people's lives and making them seem so real and familiar. This book has many surprising twists and is an enjoyable read.

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Feb 17, 2012 Sarah Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Murdoch is never so at home in a family torn apart by adultery, death, lifelong secrets revealed and a orld of morals turn squarely on its head. His is one of her finest. Most compelling bits of rotors and bliss worth every page parAgraph and word. Loved it

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Jan 01, 2013 Amy Ellis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It is my fave Murdoch so far and I've read 4. Love the sophisticated plot, the intricate beautiful writing and THE IDEAS. So gladshe wrote so many books; it will take me years to get thru them all.

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Feb 02, 2009 Gracia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I seem always to type here or mention to friends and all who listen, I am a big fan of Iris Murdoch, and so to any prospective readers I offer only one message... read this, read them all (or at least a decent handful) and I am sure you will be glad you did so.

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Jul 12, 2012 Kc added it

Reading an Iris Murdoch book is like delving into a slice of life, with characters who you feel you know by the end of the novel.... whether you like them or not.

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Sep 13, 2010 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book wraps you in and never lets go! Excellent book about love and life and everything underneath that you never want anyone to know about.

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Sep 21, 2009 Saneseeker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

Perhaps not the best of Murdoch's output but anything she writes is brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Her usual mix of over-qualified wealthy self-obssessed characters follow their childish whims and we get to enjoy watching them squirm as the results of their selfish stupidity comes home to them. Some of the characters learn and grow while others continue to live out their childish existence beyond the end of the book.
You could say Murdoch's work is formulaic as this review would...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Carol Allen added it

Just finished. Very slow to start, but then hard to put down. But, a most disappointing (& nihistic) ending.

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Apr 15, 2008 Tara rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am very mad at this book right now. Even though I finished it six months ago. Still, angry. I think I should give it higher stars, because it was making me think and feel things in ways I don't usually do. I was getting kinda crazy. I wanted to hurl the book away from me, but it wasn't because it was bad. She simply knows how much people and things suck sometimes, and how they suck in a lot of unique and terribly self-deceptive ways. So, while this book is brilliant about people and deserves w...more

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Oct 16, 2011 g marked it as to-read

Shelves: art-history, art-in-fiction

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/...

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Jul 15, 2008 letterbyletter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to letterbyletter by: Zack Rock

Shelves: 2008

Be it the prose style or the un-sympathetic, self-engrossed characters, it took about 100 pages before I was completely engaged. That said, I did enjoy the story, and the same thing that was, in part, hard to digest was also what makes the novel so powerful--those self-absorbed characters. I loved the absurd denouement, but at the same time felt there was something of a disconnect by the rather humourous fate of one character and the shocking, poignant end of another. I was left feeling torn bet...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Enjoying the book but there are so many distracting typos and grammatical errors in this published version.

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About Iris Murdoch

Dame Jean Iris Murdoch

Irish-born British writer, university lecturer and prolific and highly professional novelist, Iris Murdoch dealt with everyday ethical or moral issues, sometimes in the light of myths. As a writer, she was a perfectionist who did not allow editors to change her text. Murdoch produced 26 novels in 40 years, the last written while she was suffering from Alzheimer disease.

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