From a Tiny Corner in the House of Fiction: Conversations with Iris Murdoch

by Gillian Dooley

From a Tiny Corner in the House of Fiction gathers into a single volume twenty-three interviews with the British novelist and philosopher Dame Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) by some of the last half-century's foremost critics, academics, and journalists. Interviewers - including the renowned scholar Sir Frank Kermode, the theater critic Harold Hobson, and the writer and broadcaster Jonathan Miller - talk with Murdoch about her life, work, and philosophy. The resulting conversations offer access to Murdoch's beliefs on a wide range of topics and on her techniques and intentions as a writer. The interviews collectively trace an evolution in Murdoch's convictions, particularly on the subjects of religion and politics." Gillian Dooley introduces the collection with an analysis of Murdoch's work, looking closely at her method of composition and development of character and situation. Dooley also provides background information for each of the interviews, along with a thorough index.

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Rosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting--and, like John Bayley's "Elegy for Iris," human. I took a long time to read this. My nonfiction tends to be sparsely woven between my novels. Even so, it was still a bit repetitive, but because it's a collection of interviews with Iris Murdoch that were spread over many years, that was to be expected. And the brief reflection on her final season at the end was very real and touching.

I'm not a particular fan of Murdoch, but because of the reading list I created myself, I've been reading like one this year, and I've certainly enjoyed it.