Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The Unicorn by Iris Murdoch

Once I started reading this book, I realized I'd read it before and mixed it up with another book by Iris Murdoch. I really love this story. A young woman is hired to be a companion to another woman living in a remote and dramatic area by the sea. It could be Cornwall or Scotland, we're never told. The woman, Hannah, turns out to be a virtual but willing prisoner in this dramatic house by the sea. She is being punished for adultery and violence toward her husband who is not present. The companion, Marian, becomes attached to Hannah and is horrified that Hannah is a prisoner, willing or not. There are other interesting characters and the story is told from several viewpoints. The tale ends with a series of dramatic deaths and not much expanation. So, it's a mystery as well as an modern myth. There's room for a lot of psychological analysis. It reminds me a bit of Jane Eyre minus the happy ending because of course it's a modern tale! It would be an interesting book for discussion in a book club.