Nuns and Soldiers

Description

A romantic tangle, and a web of ideas and emotions from one of the twentieth century's greatest novelists. Gertrude has lost her husband and Anne, an ex-nun, her God. They plan to live together and do good works. Meanwhile a cohort of interested parties circle. The 'Count', a Polish man in exile watches over Gertrude with loving patience. Tim, a failed painter, plans with his punk girlfriend to live off his rich friends. Who will judge whom in this intricate pattern of love and deceit? Who will behave well and who badly? Who will be lucky?

Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin in 1919. She read Classics at Somerville College, Oxford, and after working in the Treasury and abroad, was awarded a research studentship in Philosophy at Newnham College, Cambridge. In 1948 she returned to Oxford as fellow and tutor at St Anne's College and later taught at the Royal College of Art. Until her death in 1999, she lived in Oxford with her husband, the academic and critic, John Bayley. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1987 and in the 1997 PEN Awards received the Gold Pen for Distinguished Service to Literature.

A power of intellect quite exceptional in a novelist * Sunday Times * She is incapable of writing without fascinating and beautiful colour * The Times *