The Bell

Funny, subversive, curious, fearless and fiercely intelligent, Iris Murdoch is one of the great writers of the 20th century. To celebrate her centenary Vintage Classics present a selection of some of her best and most engaging novels.

‘In this holy community she would play the witch’

Imber Court is a quiet haven for lost souls, a utopia for those who can neither live in the world, nor out of it. But beneath the gentle daily routines of this community run currents of suppressed desire, religious yearning and a legend of disastrous love. Charming, indolent Dora arrives in their midst, and half-unwittingly conjures these submerged things to the surface.