I enjoyed this Iris Murdoch novel - the 22nd read in the Murdoch challenge- although I think it is a little over long. I really liked poor old Edward, and sort of liked Stuart although he isn't such a presence in the novel. After the death of his friend, Edward is in a terrible state - guilt and self hatred drive him away from his home. He arrives at the home of his natural father whom he hasn't seen since childhood. Here he finds a rather different way of living, an almost monastic household, here Edward lives for a time with Mother May - his stepmother, and his two half sisters Bettina and Ilona. He discovers his father is an invalid, but is quickly convinced that his father loves him.
As is so often the case with IM I disliked her female characters - with the exeption of Ursula and Brownie - they are either pathetic or unsympathetic. Iris Murdoch has played around a lot with coincidence in this novel, and there is of course a lot about goodness, and guilt. Death is a strong presence in the book, as is water, although in a smaller way than in some of IM's other novels. I loved the descriptions of the area around "Seegard" - where a good portion of the novel is set.