Henry and Cato
Jan. 27th, 2022 10:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearHaving revisited my reviews of the previous Iris Murdoch books I've read, it seems as if Henry and Cato fits very well into her milieu, and evoked a similar reaction in me as the others did.
The book is populated entirely by unlikable characters (there were a couple I thought I might have some sympathy for, but that had changed by the end - though two of them did impress me with some of their actions), some of whom are downright repulsive. They drift about, having self-absorbed, existential crises, being mean to each other and doing pretty terrible things - and eventually some sort of resolution is reached.
And yet, somehow, it was really involving - so much so, that I found myself reading past midnight on more than one occasion. The writing is excellent, and the characters drew me in to their world, making me want to know what would happen to them, even though I didn't like any of them at all.
The violence of the climax was a bit abrupt and very unexpected, but perhaps necessary in galvanising some action on the part of several of the characters - and I was impressed by the length and depth of the aftermath, as the book went on for another 60 pages after the main crisis was over.
So, I remain baffled by Murdoch's ability to get me interested in her stories - but she consistently does.
The book is populated entirely by unlikable characters (there were a couple I thought I might have some sympathy for, but that had changed by the end - though two of them did impress me with some of their actions), some of whom are downright repulsive. They drift about, having self-absorbed, existential crises, being mean to each other and doing pretty terrible things - and eventually some sort of resolution is reached.
And yet, somehow, it was really involving - so much so, that I found myself reading past midnight on more than one occasion. The writing is excellent, and the characters drew me in to their world, making me want to know what would happen to them, even though I didn't like any of them at all.
The violence of the climax was a bit abrupt and very unexpected, but perhaps necessary in galvanising some action on the part of several of the characters - and I was impressed by the length and depth of the aftermath, as the book went on for another 60 pages after the main crisis was over.
So, I remain baffled by Murdoch's ability to get me interested in her stories - but she consistently does.
