In 1958, The Bell was published, considered by many critics to be Iris Murdoch's finest novel.
Set in a quasi-religious community in an ancient country mansion, this embodies many of the characteristic features of her work: intricate melodrama, serious philosophical debate, complicated sexual relationships, a bold use of symbolism, a plot that combines macabre, fantastical and richly comic incidents and a tone that, while not strictly realistic, accurately portrays the social and intellectual life of the mid-20th century.
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