Under the Net

Jun 27, 2012 Zaki rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A brilliant book about language and its inability to express certain things

It's leitmotif is that life is an amalgamation of meaningless events to which only the individual gives meaning.

It's a very British book and is full of sounds and the rhythms of London life.

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Hossain Salahuddin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophical-fiction

"I hate solitude, but I am afraid of intimacy. The substance of my life is a private conversation with myself which to turn into a dialogue would be equivalent to self-destruction"

Winner of the Booker Prize, Irish-born British author Iris Murdoch’s (1919-1999) 1954 novel 'Under the Net' is a philosophical fiction dealing with the exuberant spirit of existentialism and freedom in a postwar europe. 'Under the Net' is Murdoch’s very first novel, and remains one of her most popular. In 2005, it was...more "I hate solitude, but I am afraid of intimacy. The substance of my life is a private conversation with myself which to turn into a dialogue would be equivalent to self-destruction"

Winner of the Booker Prize, Irish-born British author Iris Murdoch’s (1919-1999) 1954 novel 'Under the Net' is a philosophical fiction dealing with the exuberant spirit of existentialism and freedom in a postwar europe. 'Under the Net' is Murdoch’s very first novel, and remains one of her most popular. In 2005, it was nominated by the TIME magazine as one of the greatest English-language novels from 1923 to present.

'Under the Net' is an intimate journey, a retrospective look at life through the eyes of Jake Donaghue, the protagonist and the novel’s swashbuckling first-person narrator. Jake is a impoverished, rootless, aspiring young writer who also translates French novels into English for a living. The novel depicts Jack’s picaresque quest for love and friendship. Jake has no commitment, no jobs and his relationships are purely for sex & shelter.

At the beginning of the novel Jack and his friend Finn are thrown out of the flat they have been living rent-free for last 18 months. The owner of the flat is their female friend Madge, who is concerned that her new lover, a rich bookmaker Sammy Starfieldby, may not like her sheltering two bohemian male friends. Jake seeks refuge among his other friends - Anna Quentin, Jake’s ex-love, Hugo Belfounder, Anna’s current admirer and particularly Dave Gellman, a professional philosopher who is heavily influenced by the Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, and who leads the philosophical discourse, the exchange of ideas and words in this novel.

Jake’s life goes through a series of chance, chaos, misfortune and hilarious misunderstandings, all of which conspire to transform his perception of life. When the French novelist Jean-Pierre Breteuil, whose rather mediocre novels Jack has been translating for a living, unexpectedly wins the prestigious Prix Goncourt award - Jake realises that his perception needs to change. During the course of moving from one place to another, particularly the journey between London and Paris, Jake takes a hard look at his own life, - his past, present and future, renegotiates his love life, - all from a philosophical point of view. At the end Jake realises that his literary career has only began. He is finally ready to see the world.

The novel is an easy read, fast moving, cleverly written and subtly funny; the characters are well developed, interesting and distinct. Murdoch’s tactic of using first person narrative makes the novel very approachable and engaging, readers will immediately get into the story and become a part of their favourite characters.

Beneath the surface of Jake’s narrative, lies a number of philosophical questions. It shows how we are trapped in a net of language, prisons created by none but us, where emotions and sentiments are inexpressible through the limited power of words, yet this exchange of ideas and dialogues is the only hope to escape from this prison. Murdoch paints this struggle and contradiction vividly, and shows our inability to describe our very personal feelings in words. She rigorously explores the nature of art and how far it distances us from reality, and concludes that art and morality are one. Under the Net teaches us to appreciate the philosophical silence in the backdrop of a self-centred, chaotic, superficial city life and leads us to a greater understanding of friendship, love, art, creativity and nature of truth.

Murdoch, Iris. Under the net, London : Vintage Books, 1954.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Max Nemtsov rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ru-versions

первый роман айрис мёрдок считается философско-плутовским романом (с юмором), а советская критика (естественно) причислила его к образцам творчества "сердитых молодых людей" (потом, правда, русская несколько одумалась и теперь не причисляет его ни к чему).
на самом деле, это битницкий роман, только пересаженный на британскую почву: нормальный герой керуака (только чуть больше вписанный в социум и устроенный в жизни) попадает в мир примерно вудхауса и мотается не с одного края континента на другой...more первый роман айрис мёрдок считается философско-плутовским романом (с юмором), а советская критика (естественно) причислила его к образцам творчества "сердитых молодых людей" (потом, правда, русская несколько одумалась и теперь не причисляет его ни к чему).
на самом деле, это битницкий роман, только пересаженный на британскую почву: нормальный герой керуака (только чуть больше вписанный в социум и устроенный в жизни) попадает в мир примерно вудхауса и мотается не с одного края континента на другой, а из лондона в париж и обратно, а также шляется по самому лондону и купается в темзе. вот такие в англии были бы битники: как джейк донахью. но там, как известно, битников не случилось, они случились в другом месте, и айрис мёрдок поставила эдакий трогательный и трепетный эксперимент, поэтому роман остался эдакой диковиной, а традиции, в общем, не породил. но все условия соблюдены, и книга действует на сознание точно так же, как романы керуака: на всю жизнь делает инъекцию тяги к свободе. только читать, естественно, ее нужно в правильном возрасте - где-то в районе 20-ти. именно тогда послушные мальчики и девочки становятся СМЛ, битниками, хиппи или панками.
перевод м.ф. лорие в общем хорош и годен, вопросы остались только к некоторым реалиям. купировали ли текст - не знаю, насквозь не проверял, но из русского издания убрано посвящение раймону кено, а оно бы многое объясняло(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2007 Daniel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

It seems to me that most male authors have male central characters, and female authors female central characters, especially when the novel is in the first person. It also seems to me that female authors (in general) create more believable female central characters, and male authors (in general) more believable male characters, especially concerning central characters and particularly when in the first person narrative. This shouldn't be surprising. That said, this novel, for me, is the best exc...more

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2007 Trevor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature

I loved this book. A first person narrative about a young man on a picaresque quest for love and friendship, with a good healthy dose of philosophy added in for good measure.

The part of the story that stays with me is the story around Hugo. I think I liked most the idea that a friendship might end on the basis of an assumed betrayal and that the betrayal is one of the spirit and not one that occurred at all. Although, that is an interesting question in itself - does the person we feel we have be...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2013 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

This tells the story of a Jake Donaghue, a penniless, would-be high-brow writer. He drinks a lot, mooches off friends a lot, and basically wasting his life and his talent. As one character remarks to Jake: "You are a talented man who is too lazy to work and [...] you hold left-wing opinions but take active part in politics". In other words, he is smart and talented, but is throwing his life away.

Jake also has a rather poor understanding of other people. Already on page one, he remarks that his f...more

like · see review

May 27, 2013 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I found "Under the Net" to be one of the most satisfying books I’ve read. The notes on the back don’t do it justice—they made the book sound like a silly, lightheaded British romp just like all other silly, lightheaded British (and American) romps, but it isn’t. It’s a journey through someone’s soul. Every single character was wonderful and had something to like, the ones clearly up to no good, because Murdoch shows all their frailties. Every detail meant something in the story later on, and non...more I found "Under the Net" to be one of the most satisfying books I’ve read. The notes on the back don’t do it justice—they made the book sound like a silly, lightheaded British romp just like all other silly, lightheaded British (and American) romps, but it isn’t. It’s a journey through someone’s soul. Every single character was wonderful and had something to like, the ones clearly up to no good, because Murdoch shows all their frailties. Every detail meant something in the story later on, and none of them go unaccounted for.

This isn’t to say that the book was too “deep” to laugh about. I at least smiled and sometimes guffawed all the way through it. The character bits were priceless, starting with Finn, who had “no inner life” and no doubt followed Jake around because he missed his own (p, 9). Also the description of Dave’s Jewishness, i.e., “also, since he is Jewish he can feel himself to be a part of History without making any special effort (p. 24).” The passage on pages 44–48 describing Jake’s traipsing through the theater at night developed the idea of “I was being watched” but it turned out to be...Murdoch makes literary feasts out of a number of clichés. I was in hysterics during the eavesdropping scene between Jake and the duo of Sadie and Sammy along with the neighbors' actions. Another mark of literary masterfulness is that every time it seems as if someone's about to be caught in the act, they either aren't or are in an unanticipated way or by unexpected entities. This makes all the fiction with devices like that in them seem cheap by comparison.

Then, of course, there’s the description of Jake's first chats with Hugo (in an institute for the study of colds, of all things!), which may have inspired "My Dinner with Andre," although it turned out that Hugo was as awestruck by Jake as Jake was by him.

I read a couple of Murdoch’s books when I was in high school and wish that I hadn’t missed this one, although I wonder if I’d have been ready for it. I certainly wasn’t ready to go “under the net” then and wonder if I am even now. I wish that I could see Jake again—anyone who’d give his last shilling to purchase a friend—Mars—is fine in my book, and of course, it was Jake's act of crawling under the net at the end, if only to write more language!

(less)

like · see review

May 12, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A comic novel about work and love, wealth and fame

Jake Donaghue, garrulous artist, meets Hugo Bellfounder, silent philosopher.

Jake, hack writer and sponger, now penniless flat-hunter, seeks out an old girlfriend, Anna Quentin, and her glamorous actress sister, Sadie. He resumes acquaintance with the formidable Hugo, whose ‘philosophy’ he once presumptuously dared to interpret. These meetings involve Jake and his eccentric servant-companion, Finn, in a series of adventures that include the k

...more

like · see review

May 06, 2013 Eva Ashmore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Why I decided to read this book
I decided to read this book because my mother recommended it to me and even though I usually have very different tastes to her i am trying to try new things and I am gland I did.
Which category does it belong to and why was that interesting
This book is in the 'book written by a woman' category. Because the book is narrated by a man I thought that she may not have as strong a character because of the gender differences between her and her main character but she seeme...more Why I decided to read this book
I decided to read this book because my mother recommended it to me and even though I usually have very different tastes to her i am trying to try new things and I am gland I did.
Which category does it belong to and why was that interesting
This book is in the 'book written by a woman' category. Because the book is narrated by a man I thought that she may not have as strong a character because of the gender differences between her and her main character but she seemed to understand what she was doing and Jake's character was seamless.
My favourite quote from the novel
This book is impeccably written it had so many beautiful lines but one that stood out for me was ‘money will never leave a man who has endured enough for its sake’ because this was really one of the ways the author showed this warped view of the world that Jake has created for himself. Because I believe this is completely wrong some people act as though money will always be there and I’m sure people may learn skills that makes it hard for them not to make money but at the end of the day those who can count on money being there forever if they want it or not are those who have done nothing to earn it.
Something new I learned from this book
I think this book sort of proved to me that you can have a fantastic novel regardless of the storyline. Not because it had a bad plot I think it was just that it was more about the development of the characters and this meant it wasn't as fast paced as most books I read.
A character or setting I enjoyed and why
The setting that had me in fits of laughter (whether it was intended or not) was Sadie's apartment this was because Jake is employed by his friend Sadie, who is in love with him, to be a bodyguard and is looked in her apartment. He then goes on to talk about a different relationship and how he has a theory that we trap those we love in metaphorical cages. I am probably not doing it justice but it is one of the funniest situations I have every read.
(less)

like · see review

Sep 29, 2012 Murray rated it 3 of 5 stars

I just deliberated between the third and fourth star rating. I'm going with a strong third considering that I want to leave proper leeway to show excellence in Murdoch's work more than a comparisson to the history of literature as a whole. For Murdoch, this is a bit light of touch and not just because she is taking a jaunty ride down the bumpy road of comedy. As a fellow of philosophy at Oxford, Iris infuses her writing with unfathomable questions of existence and the sometimes ridiculous choice...more

like · see review

Sep 25, 2012 Smcleish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in November 2000.

The story of Jake Donaghue's aimless London adventures gives the reader the feeling all the way through that it has more meaning than is readily apparent. I found it difficult to see what this hidden significance might be, but still enjoyed the novel. The title probably has something to do with this; it has no obvious relationship to any of the events in the plot.

Jake is a writer who, at the beginning of the novel, is thrown out of the flat i...more

like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Dott. Italo Perazzoli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Under the Net, written by Iris Murdoch, is a philosophical journey between London and Paris, their main inhabitants are Jake Donaghue, Dave Gellman and Magdalene Casement (Madge).

The themes touched, described in a picaresque way are ‘Existentialism’ v ‘Metaphysics’

The purpose of this novel is to show the life of a penniless writer named Jake Donaghue his close friend Finn and Dave Gellman a professional philosopher fan of Wittgenstein, sparing of words and thoughtful the antithesis of Hugo a su...more

like · see review

Jul 12, 2011 Charlie Rosenthal rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Irish novelist Iris Murdoch's debut novel Under the Net is, at least in theory, one of those thrilling On the Road-style chronicles of youth spent without responsibility, thus creating interesting adventures populated by larger than life characters. However, what separates Under the Net from other, similar novels is, simply, that the characters are--with the exception of Jake--not interesting in the slightest. Murdoch spends a great fraction of the book explaining to the reader precisely why Jak...more Irish novelist Iris Murdoch's debut novel Under the Net is, at least in theory, one of those thrilling On the Road-style chronicles of youth spent without responsibility, thus creating interesting adventures populated by larger than life characters. However, what separates Under the Net from other, similar novels is, simply, that the characters are--with the exception of Jake--not interesting in the slightest. Murdoch spends a great fraction of the book explaining to the reader precisely why Jake's friend Hugo is so interesting. This is mostly a fool's errand, as Hugo ends up sounding like some sort of tremendously boring armchair philosopher with views that I certainly could not reproduce. As with Hugo, the other key characters are boring, thin creatures with personalities that are told, not shown. While part of this is certainly a function of the frame of the novel--recollections by Jake upon these previous times--, there is no excuse for characters like Finn to get introduced by Jake with a long list of personality traits, not all of which really become apparent over the run of the novel. Additionally, the troubles that Jake encounters in Under the Net are generally so easily resolved as to be completely benign. Oh, he just got kicked out of his housing! Well, obviously, he won't actually spend much time homeless, because he's got vast wells of friendship to draw from, even if some of his friends don't particularly seem to like him all that much. Instead of suffering like Keep the Aspidistra Flying's Gordon Comstock--another ne'er do well with literary aspirations--, Jake's life is comparatively soft and cushy. Other than some very, very brief discussions of his financial insolvency, money is completely ignored, despite the fact that Jake has never held a job beyond writing and translating. Simply, as a comedic account of a struggling writer, Under the Net fails rather grandly, providing neither the expected laughs or the plot and character based hijinks should seemingly exist.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2011 Ian Mapp rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was chosen from the overview provided in 20th Century British Authors on BBC 4. I liked the premise of a child like failed author (Jake) bumbling around London in the 1950's - sponging from his friends, a bizarre love square with the Quentin Sisters and Hugo. Each of them loves the wrong person.

The star of the book is 1950's London - the place names, pubs, coffee houses and the now obviously dated dialogues were a joy in the book. There are a couple of set pieces - like when Jake and h...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2010 Aly Lawson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

When I read this in college, our modern lit professor warned us against being hayseed critics. We need to have a basis for our criticism, a chunk of spoken reason, or text, behind our critiques and accolades of each book we read. Otherwise, we’ll end up looking like the foolish critic in Norman Rockwell’s painting, sucking on a strand of hay while we squint and furrow at a work of art still in progress...

By the time Murdoch’s book was that quarter assigned, I was trying hard not be caught with s...more When I read this in college, our modern lit professor warned us against being hayseed critics. We need to have a basis for our criticism, a chunk of spoken reason, or text, behind our critiques and accolades of each book we read. Otherwise, we’ll end up looking like the foolish critic in Norman Rockwell’s painting, sucking on a strand of hay while we squint and furrow at a work of art still in progress...

By the time Murdoch’s book was that quarter assigned, I was trying hard not be caught with straw between my teeth as I read about a struggling writer. Iris was female. (She passed away only a few years before I read this first published novel of hers.) Her gender didn’t keep her from writing from a man’s perspective.

The author created a sparkling account of Jake Donaghue, the penniless artist who networks with an array of magnetic characters throughout London and Paris. Drifting through these quintessential corners of the world, Jake flirts with starlets, crosses bookies, and brainstorms about life with the eccentric. Rekindled love and episodes of the absurd burn and douse the pages; smoldering gems of satire and panache (too much?) reveal themselves en route to Jake's final philosophy on life. From page one, witty phrases made me smile, and this marvelous little world that was constructed never ebbs far from the insightful.

Virginia Woolf called novels “life escapes.” She continued, “and perhaps without life nothing else is worth while.” If we didn’t have existence in all its zaniness—all its pitch changes and scars—where would books take us? There would be nothing left to write about and no reason to read. Many people question writers, wondering how someone can have so much to say when most are running on fumes on page eleven. You see there’s no EMPTY line for the imagination when muse is life. Ms. Murdoch proves that there’s always something worth writing about. And always something worth experiencing, read or lived.

Read more at http://sideofhoneydew.blogspot.com.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 08, 2010 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001, 2010, fiction

It's always astonishing to me when I'm exposed to a book I would never have picked up and find myself lost in it, and that's the very reason I have been working my way through the 1001 Books list.

In UNDER THE NET Jake Donaghue is a failure of a writer, a bum, a leech on his friends and, despite being an adult, views the world almost as a child does. He never thinks an action through to the consequence, he treats his friendships lightly - taking them for granted or doing stupid, silly things to s...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 23, 2010 Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly rated it 1 of 5 stars

I am not really sure what was it in this novel that I felt almost nothing while reading it.

When Iris Murdoch tried to be funny, I felt no humor whatsoever. I saw her try to develop some complicated twists and turns, but I was never at the edge of my seat about anything. Her philosophical musings made me sleepy. Her attempt to put some romance into this made me yawn.

My copy of this book has an introduction by Kiernan Ryan who calls it a bold and brilliant debut by Murdoch. Mr. Ryan sees in the no...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 09, 2009 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jake, the protagonist, is an aspiring writer-gadfly who falls in with Hugo, a part-time philosopher/film producer of independent means. Jake is so impressed by Hugo's seemingly deep insight into the universe that he authors a high brow novel based on their late night kibitzing. The main character is a thinly disguised caricature of Hugo. When Hugo appears to grow distant and then suddenly fades from their social scene, Jake is convinced that his novel, albeit obscure, is the root of Hugo's disap...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 02, 2009 Kecia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-books, times_100_best, dogs

The more I think about Under the Net the more I like it. It has nice balance of quirky characters, a rollicking fun story, with a bit of sobriety thrown in. As the story progresses Jake matures and it is interesting to watch the transformation. The guy is a serious diaster in the beginning, but by the end I was certain he would get his act together.

The chapter in which Jake dog-naps Mars is hilarious! It could stand on its own as funny sketch comedy. I don't think I ever laughed quite so hard w...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Helen Kitson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

"Under the Net" was Iris Murdoch's first novel [published 1954], and it's a much more lighthearted affair than many of the novels that would follow. The hero of the story is Jake, a penniless writer in his thirties who makes some sort of living translating French novels into English. At the start of the novel he is about to be turned out of his (rent-free) home because Madge, his landlady, has become engaged to wideboy bookmaker Sammy Starfield.

Jake is a romantic ideal, perhaps - the impecunious...more

like · see review

May 02, 2011 Maxym Karpovets rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, urban-culture

Глибокий та серйозний аналіз неможилво здійснити в межах цієї невеликої розвідки, тому спробую окреслити основні філософські риси першого роману [повісті] «Під сіткою» (Under the Net) (1954), який, на мій погляд, дає підстави говорити про сформований стиль автора і основи для експлікації як художньго мислення Мердок, так і специфічного світобачення письменниці. Звичайно, не менш важливі улюблений читачами і критиками роман «Чорний принц» (The Black Prince) (1973) і останній роман Айріс Мердок «Д...more Глибокий та серйозний аналіз неможилво здійснити в межах цієї невеликої розвідки, тому спробую окреслити основні філософські риси першого роману [повісті] «Під сіткою» (Under the Net) (1954), який, на мій погляд, дає підстави говорити про сформований стиль автора і основи для експлікації як художньго мислення Мердок, так і специфічного світобачення письменниці. Звичайно, не менш важливі улюблений читачами і критиками роман «Чорний принц» (The Black Prince) (1973) і останній роман Айріс Мердок «Дилема Джексона» (Jackson’s Dilemma) (1995). По суті, ці три тексти охоплюють другу половину ХХ століття, а тому неминуче представляють собою різні тематичні та стилістичні пошуки в літературі цього періоду.

Тексти Мердок пронизані дискурсами, як багатошаровий пиріг. У свій час Малькольм Бредбері, відомий критик і цікавий письменник, вдало зауважив: «Вона справді серйозний письменник, проте її книги можуть і мають бути прочитані на різних рівнях, від найбільш метафізичного до найбільш романтичного і сентиментального; її різноманітні читачі таким чином можуть по-різному її конструювати, і вона, здається, постійно провокує переосмислити себе, пропонуючи їм чудову нагоду в можливому і в елементі несподіваного».
Синтез філософського світобачення та художнього мислення романіста в межах однієї творчої свідомості створив особливі труднощі як для самої письменниці, яка постійно рефлексувала над пропорціями філософії і белетристики у своїй творчості, так і для критиків. В романі «Під сіткою» ми поринаємо у світ складний, багатогранний і сповнений екзистенціальним переживаннями індивіда у сучасному світі. Перед нами шестидесяті-семидесяті роки – час змін і переоцінки цінностей. Молоді романтики дискутують про політику, культуру, прагнуть зняти буржуазний накип. Втім, спроба позбутись традиції часто перетворюється в безладне вештання містом, яке вже не приймає у свій космос тих, хто хоч раз оступився.

Особливим екзистенціалом для Мердок є любов, і, зрозуміло, нерозділена любов. Проте у письменниці ця нерозділеність не є не-відповідю на почуття Іншого, а не-видимістю почуттів і не-видимістю Іншого. В романі «Над сіткою» «усі герої пов’язані між собою невидимими ланцюжками своїх почуттів» . Ця не-видимість є значно глибшою, аніж задається на перший погляд. Можна сказати, що перед нами невидимість буття, тобто неспроможність побачити справжність речей. Це відсилає нас до феноменологічної традиції, але насамперед – до платонічної (зрештою, всі ми перебуваємо в цій традиції – нам дуже важко втіки від неї, якими б «сердитими» постмодерністами ми не були), що є цілком зрозуміло у випадку з Мердок. Мені видається, що платонізм для Мердок був набагато більш суттєвіший, аніж сучасні течії філософії. Про це згодом письменниця визнає в більш солідному віці, а поки вона позиціонує себе як філософ постсучасний із новомодними постсучасними тенденціями. Це й не дивно, оскільки практично вся тогочасна молодь в Оксфорді захоплювалась далеко на старомодними філософами і теоретиками, а тому на їх столах в гуртожитках частіше можна було помітити Людвіга Вігтенштейна і Фрідріха Ніцше, аніж Платона і Фому Аквінського.

Роман починається з того, що головний герой, Джейк Донаг’ю (юний письменник і перекладач французької, що закоханий у співачку з нічного бару Анну Квентін) блукає Лондоном , бо його вигнали із квартири. В процесі цього фланерування герой шукає житло, а насправді він шукає себе в цьому світі, намагається розгадати складну павутину людських стосунків, в епіцентрі якої опинився він сам. Джейк існує в специфічному середовищі людей, яке постійно даватиме про себе знати в романах Мердок. Це середовище філософів, письменників, артистів, богемних художників, вчених (по суті, таке ж саме, яке було в Мердок в часи її студенства). Однак це середовище замкнене у своїх концептам і теоріях (відлунням згодом стане роман «Вежа зі слонової кістки» Джона Фаулза), що створюють ілюзію життя, але зовсім не є останнім. Вони розуміють цей світ, але жити в ньому повноцінно не можуть. Зрештою, що взагалі жити повноцінно – на «повну катушку» як каже художник у вищезгадуваному романі Джона Фаулза?

Перед нами типовий індивідуалістський модерністський роман, зациклений на внутрішньому світі персонажа. Проте цей роман однозначно не назвеш ні екзистенціалістським (хоч він і є таким одночасно), ні абсурдним (і цим він є – Джейк так нагадує дивакуватих персонажів Беккета!), ні сюрреалістським (їм теж він є, бо часто події фокусуються на уявному, сюрреальному світі – не випадково Мердок присвятила роман Раймону Кене). Крім того, в романі настільки майстерно вибудовано структуру відносин між персонажами (сітка відносин), що місцями просто дивуєшся, як талановито це зробила Мердок. Доречно згадати слова Бахтіна, який, аналізуючи романи Достоєвського, помітив: «Немножинність характерів і доль в єдиному об’єктивному світі, в руслі однієї авторської свідомості розгортаються в його творах, а саме множинність рівноправних свідомостей із їх світами поєднуються тут, зберігаючи свою незлитність в єдності певної події» . Ця поліфонічність простужеється не тільки в романі «Над сіткою», а також в більш зрілому творі «Чорний принц», а також у «Відрубленій голові», «Дилеммі Джексона», «Єдинорозі» і, мабуть, в інших текстах теж.

4/5(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Kin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-to-read, british

I wish goodreads widened its rating scale. My opinion of this book falls somewhere in the area between 'really liked it' and 'it was amazing'. It's a kind of 'really, REALLY liked it'.

I usually enjoy reading a novel's page on goodreads after finishing the book. Seeing my thoughts reflected in other readers' reviews gives me narcissistic pleasure and keeps at bay any urge to write my own. Today, however, I was bitterly disappointed - so many complaints against this marvelous piece! The story is t...more I wish goodreads widened its rating scale. My opinion of this book falls somewhere in the area between 'really liked it' and 'it was amazing'. It's a kind of 'really, REALLY liked it'.

I usually enjoy reading a novel's page on goodreads after finishing the book. Seeing my thoughts reflected in other readers' reviews gives me narcissistic pleasure and keeps at bay any urge to write my own. Today, however, I was bitterly disappointed - so many complaints against this marvelous piece! The story is too chaotic, pointless, improbable, the other characters too flat and what's with this senseless philosophy entertained by Hugo and Jake?
I read those comments and could not believe what I saw. Somehow, those people managed to twist every single merit of the novel into vice. "Under the Net" they read is definitely NOT the one I read and liked so much. From my perspective, the narrative is elegant and gliding, with chaotic elements synthesised into a harmonious whole. The fantastic events seem only fitting for a protagonist constantly walking in his head in the clouds and expecting a thrill in every moment of his life. As for the flat characters, they owe their unreal quality to the way Jake denies them any importance or individuality outside of himself and manipulates their images to fit his own liking. This tendency is finally brought to light when we meet Hugo, who, as we realize, is not as Jake portrayed him.
Therefore, I was a little amazed when I read in one of the reviews: the the personality of some of the characters is not consistent throughout the book. For example, in the first few chapters, Hugo seems to be a serious philosopher mouthing profound long lines (...) Then towards the end of the novel, especially in the hospital runaway, this Hugo resurfaced and believe me that he speaks very plainly and almost always in one liner as if he is totally a different character Well, duh. That was the point. I think that most of those people who dissed the novel simply missed its point.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 07, 2010 Cindy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Cindy by: Book club pick 7/15/10

Shelves: 1001-books, female-authors, fiction, book-club, british

Jake Donaghue is a lazy, mooching, failed writer. Under the Net is basically a free-flowing connection of his and his friends' antics in London and Paris. Under the surface is a commentary on language, and how words so incompletely convey ideas and rarely express the truth.

I almost abandoned this book up until the half-way mark. The only way I could describe it is vacuous: there just wasn't much there. I didn't hate it, but I just couldn't bring myself to feel anything towards the story, the cha...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Veronica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Veronica by: Modern Library's 100 Best Novels

I approached Under the Net with trepidation, mostly concerned with the knowledge of its author, Iris Murdoch, as a philosopher. I need not have worried as this literary journey was well worthwhile.

Set in London and France, we join a wandering writer as he begs, borrows and steals his way into and out of the lives of an interesting supporting cast.

Jake Donoghue is a 30-something translator of French works who lives hand to mouth, relying on the kindness of friends and shopkeepers. Drawn to philos...more I approached Under the Net with trepidation, mostly concerned with the knowledge of its author, Iris Murdoch, as a philosopher. I need not have worried as this literary journey was well worthwhile.

Set in London and France, we join a wandering writer as he begs, borrows and steals his way into and out of the lives of an interesting supporting cast.

Jake Donoghue is a 30-something translator of French works who lives hand to mouth, relying on the kindness of friends and shopkeepers. Drawn to philosophers and communists, he nonetheless is unable to plant his feet on the ground in order to get down to the business of writing, so carries on springing from one adventure to the next. There’s something about this guy that makes you want to root for him.

Jake’s sidekick, Peter O’Finney, aka Finn, is his Irish equivalent. He is unquestionably devoted to Jake, who he puts before himself. He is also, stereotypically, quite devoted to alcohol which he consumes with Jake in vast quantities. Finn was the kind of guy everyone likes, but probably couldn’t explain why.

The enigmatic Hugo Belfounder captures Jake’s attention when they meet at a drug testing center where both have agreed to be subjected to cold germs (repeatedly, by the way so they can continue their talks). Hugo finds financial success without effort and seems daunted by it all. Hugo and Jake part company following what turns out to be a misunderstanding only to find that the women they each long for long for each other’s attentions. Another easy man to like.

Quotes:

What is more tormenting than a meeting after a long time, when all the words fall to the ground like dead things, and the spirit that should animate them floats disembodied in the air?

Daytime sleep is a cursed slumber from which one wakes in despair. The sun will not tolerate it. If he can he will pry under your eyelids and prise them apart; and if you hang black curtains at your windows he will lay siege to your room until it is so stifling that at last you you stagger with staring eyes to the window and tear back the curtains to see that most terrible of sights, the broad daylight outside a room where you have been sleeping. There are special nightmares for the daytime sleeper: little nervous dreams tossed into some brief restless moments of unconsciousness and breaking through the surface of the mind to become confused at once with the horrors of some waking vision. Such are these awakenings, like an awakening in the grave, when one opens one’s eyes, stretched out rigid with clenched hands, waiting for some misery to declare itself; but for a long time it lies to suffocation upon the chest and utters no word.

Starting a novel is opening a door on a misty landscape; you can still see very little but you can smell the earth and feel the wind blowing.

Having led such an interesting life, I’m sure any conversation with Iris Murdoch would be enlightening. Perhaps she’d share some tales of her involvement with the Communist Party or help me appreciate philosophical doctrines. Such a prolific writer would surely have some insights to share with me over a nice lunch.

My rating for Under the Net is a 9 out of 10.(less)

like · see review

Nov 17, 2010 Kelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20th-cent-novel

It was really interesting, it reads very much contemporary. The main character, Jake Donahue, sort of meanders through life, as a failed writer and living off of his many friends, but somehow everything seems to work out for him. He is impulsive, lazy, but has a particular charm about him that is obvious, due to the novel's first person narration.
He seems to me to be, as a character a sort of failed existentialist, in that he is impulsive and carries out many of his actions with little or no...more

like · see review

Nov 09, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a word: delightful. The book was Iris Murdoch's first and is a jaunty picaresque novel with a liberal sprinkling of philosophical musings throughout. The main character is a lazy, self-absorbed writer who can only be described as feckless (new favorite word?), and who spends his days bumming around London with his drunkard friends while double-crossing bookies, freeing patients from hospital wards, and crashing communist party rallies on movie sets. The philosophy bit comes in when several mi...more

like · see review

May 19, 2011 Ray rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel was very smart and witty. Jake is pushed out of his world of comfort, where he had been translating french dime novels instead of doing his own work, and, in a series of misadventures, tries to piece together the tattered remains of his relationships with several caricatures of London's intellectual elite. Novels of misadventure and wit are something I both immediately like and of which I am immediately skeptical. Wit poses the danger that there is no substance to the novel, but rathe...more

like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 James Klagge rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

I've wanted to read this novel for a long time. Murdoch was a professional Oxford philosophy don who was also a best-selling novelist. One of my grad school professors, Philippa Foot, was a close friend of hers. She claimed that writing philosophy and writing novels were two very distinct undertakings. But she did bring some philosophical ideas and issues into her writing (esp. pp. 56ff). This novel is known to philosophers because it supposedly based a character on Wittgenstein, and used some o...more I've wanted to read this novel for a long time. Murdoch was a professional Oxford philosophy don who was also a best-selling novelist. One of my grad school professors, Philippa Foot, was a close friend of hers. She claimed that writing philosophy and writing novels were two very distinct undertakings. But she did bring some philosophical ideas and issues into her writing (esp. pp. 56ff). This novel is known to philosophers because it supposedly based a character on Wittgenstein, and used some of his ideas. Murdoch only knew Wittgenstein slightly, but what I found from some research is that she based one of the characters, Hugo, not on Wittgenstein, but on one of his little-known friends, Yorick Smythies:

"Her first novel Under the Net contains a wise fool called Hugo Belfounder, who cuts through the narrator Jake Donaghue's illusions about who-loves-whom. Hugo also awakens in Jake both humility and a sense of wonder. The novel concerns a re-enchantment of the ordinary, a re-christening of the eyes. And Hugo, her journals leave no doubt about the matter, is a portrait of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein's star-pupil from 1937, Yorick Smythies. He was often the only person allowed to take notes in Wittgenstein's lectures [hence acknowledged on the title of the Brown Book etc.]. Murdoch's friendship with Smythies prospered after her return to teach at St Anne's College in 1948. “What a poor image of Yorick Hugo Belfounder is! But this is unkind to Hugo. The fault is mine”, Iris noted in her journal. Smythies resembled a cross between Hamlet and the grave-digger, thin, stooped, myopic, tall, pure-of-heart, given to the slow catechising that Wittgenstein favoured as a method of investigation, and to strange abstinences. At the age of five he put a sign on his door reading, “Do not disturb: reading Plotinus”. Close friends use of him the same phrase as Iris of Hugo: he was “totally truthful”, to the point of wild eccentricity. Like Hugo, Yorick in real life was divided between two women-loves. Like Hugo, who ends apprenticed to a Nottingham watch-maker, Yorick wished to become a bus conductor but, Iris noted, was the only person in the history of the bus company to fail the theory test." Peter Conradi, "Did Iris Murdoch Draw from Life ?", Iris Murdoch Newsletter 15 (2001). If Iris Murdoch is our philosopher-novelist there is a further interest in this association. The charismatic figure of Wittgenstein looms over the novels: though she did meet him in Cambridge twice in 1947 (shortly before he died) and knew others (such as Elizabeth Anscombe) who had been at his seminars, Smythies was her most important link to him.

To me an interesting personal association was that the main character and narrator reminded me very much of my roommate in graduate school, a Scottish mathematician named Duncan. A brilliant but completely unmotivated person who spent much of his time drinking. I lost track of Duncan many years ago as he disappeared into a realm of smoke and drink, and I don't know what became of him. I hope, but doubt, that he came to his senses. The novel is the story of his finally coming to life through coming to terms with a number of illusions. The story is extremely well written, with no artificial or false steps that I sensed. (less)

like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Amorfna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Amorfna by: Nikolina Šarčević

Ne zadržavajući se predugo na samoj strukturi i radnji knjige, dovoljno je reći da je ovo jedan odličan nepretenciozni egzistencijalistički - on the road - roman.
Jake, mladi intelektualac, još uvek na putu, bez cilja, u potrazi, u mreži ( ne)povoljnih okolnosti i šarenolikih karaktera.
Ovo je jedna od onih knjiga za koje zapravo ne možete reći o čemu su tačno. To je prosto roman. Odličan roman, bez pravog početka i kraja..stalni road trip.
Knjiga je bolja od mog šturog opisa tako da bih joj učin...more

like · see review

Jun 23, 2010 Masanobu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, read-in-2010, library

I find hard to say what this book is about. There seem to be no plot, it's just a series of pretty normal situations turned comic and dream-like by chaotic misunderstandings and the weirdest logic. Nothing happens, really. However, this is one of the books I've enjoyed the most this year, because of (i)the exquisite prose and (ii) it's set in London, and I could feel every place described. I enjoyed this stroll with a nostalgic feeling.

The writing is delicate and tough at the same time, accurate...more I find hard to say what this book is about. There seem to be no plot, it's just a series of pretty normal situations turned comic and dream-like by chaotic misunderstandings and the weirdest logic. Nothing happens, really. However, this is one of the books I've enjoyed the most this year, because of (i)the exquisite prose and (ii) it's set in London, and I could feel every place described. I enjoyed this stroll with a nostalgic feeling.

The writing is delicate and tough at the same time, accurate and full of beautiful and original images, some of which I couldn't restrain myself from including in the review:

"An ever-increasing family of tabbies, sprung from one enormous matriarch, sit about upon the counter and on the empty shelves, somnolent and contemplative, their amber eyes narrowed and winking in the sun, a reluctant slit of liquid in an expanse of hot fur."

"There are some parts of London which are neccessary and others which are contingent. Everywhere west of Earls Court is contingent, except for a few places along the river. [...:] Being a philosopher, he [Dave:] is professionally concerned with the central knot of being, and not with the loose ends that most of us have to play with. Also, since he is Jewish he can feel himself to be a part of History without making any special effort. [...:] So Dave can afford to have a contingent address. I wasn't sure that I could."

"The contents of the room had a sort of strange cohesion and homogeneity, and they seemed to adhere to the walls like the contents of a half-empty jam jar. Yet here was evey kind of thing. It was like a vast toy shop that had been hit by a bomb."

"[...:]what an honest thing a firework was. It was so patently just an ephemeral spurt of beauty of which in a moment nothing more was left."

"The whole expanse of water was running with light. It was like swimming in quicksilver."

"They [the words:] turned over in the air slowly and then fell; and the splendour of the husky gold filled the shop, transforming the cats into leopards and Mrs Tinckham into an aged Circe."

"Events stream past us like these crowds and the face of each is seen only for a minute. What is urgent is not urgent forever but only ephemerally."

What I did not like about the book is that the almost impeccable writing struck me juvenile-ish, and I couldn't decide whether that was intended or not. The same happened with characterization - everyone was a little flat and shared a common voice. But I keep thinking that may be because we are reading the story told by our young unreliable narrator. I suppose I'll have to read another book by Murdoch.(less)

like · see review

title link	preview: Under the Net
avg rating	preview: Under the Net Goodreads rating: 3.75 (4161 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11324.Under_the_Net?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348198051l/11324.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11324.Under_the_Net?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Under the Net by Iris Murdoch[/url]

Under the Net

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (27)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Iris Murdoch

Books by Iris Murdoch

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Under the Net

Quotes from Under the Net