The Sea, The Sea (Vintage Booker) and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more

Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
Buy Used
Used - Very Good See details
Price: £2.80
Fulfilled by Amazon

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
See 1 customer image
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading The Sea, The Sea (Vintage Booker) on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Sea, The Sea [Paperback]

Iris Murdoch (Author), John Burnside (Introduction)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.29 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.70 (30%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Thursday, 20 June? Choose Express delivery at checkout. Details

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition £3.79   -- --
Hardcover --   -- --
Paperback £5.83   -- --
Paperback, 1 July 1999 £6.29   -- --
Audio, Cassette, Abridged, Audiobook --   -- --
Books Trade-In
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more.

Book Description

Publication Date: 1 July 1999

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JOHN BURNSIDE

When Charles Arrowby retires from his glittering career in the London theatre, he buys a remote house on the rocks by the sea. He hopes to escape from his tumultuous love affairs but unexpectedly bumps into his childhood sweetheart and sets his heart on destroying her marriage. His equilibrium is further disturbed when his friends all decide to come and keep him company and Charles finds his seaside idyll severely threatened by his obsessions.

(1999-03-12)

Frequently Bought Together

The Sea, The Sea + The Bell + Under The Net (Vintage Classics)
Price For All Three: £19.77

Buy the selected items together

Product details

  • Paperback: 560 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage Classics; New Ed edition (1 July 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 009928409X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099284093
  • Product Dimensions: 13 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 24,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Iris Murdoch Page
Iris Murdoch
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Review

"Dazzlingly entertaining and inventive" (The Times)

"One of the most ambitious tours de force in many years... There are pages one races through to see what happens. She is a virtuoso at description" (Daily Mail)

"She was a brilliantly clever woman" (Dame Judi Dench)

"There is no doubt in my mind that Iris Murdoch is one of the most important novelists now writing in English...The power of her imaginative vision, her intelligence and her awareness and revelation of human truth are quite remarkable" (The Times)

"A fabulous novel...funny and poignant and is arguably Murdoch's finest hour" (Gary Kemp Daily Express)

Book Description

The Booker Prize-winning masterpiece from one of the twentieth century's most important and entertaining writers. (2005-02-17)
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

› Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Dive into The Sea, the water is lovely 16 Aug 2007
By Sam J. Ruddock
Format:Paperback
When Charles Arrowby retreats to the sea to live the life of a hermit in a dilapidated stone cottage he is in search of peace and tranquillity. He spends his days swimming in the swelling sea and practicing his own form of stripped down gourmet cooking. But when he encounters an old flame from his childhood the idyllic retirement he imagined is ambushed by obsession and he quickly finds his solitude interrupted by the London world he had tried to escape.

So begins a tale of almost fantastical depth. Like the sea at its epicentre this is a novel which often seems calm and content, almost frail, but which at any given moment is want to swell and crash down with devastating consequences, only to recede carrying with it all ones expectations. It is this transience of nature, this ephemeral air which makes The Sea, The Sea such a joy. It is everything you ever wanted a novel to be, and yet nothing all at the same time.

The characterisation is first rate: from the magical realist eastern mysticism of Charles' cousin James through the joyful campness of his theatre friends to the dour and defeated strength of his childhood love there is a real sense of place, of permanence, of solidity. And with such a capricious main character as Charles Arrowby it is a pleasure to lose oneself in his mind and to live by the sea, with its daily transformations and impulsive unpredictability.

I want to say something dramatically understated which could emphasise how delightfully real this book is, to encourage everyone out there to buy it and read it and enjoy it. It is not a dense or difficult book, and there are surprising twists around each corner. Perhaps I could compare it to Donna Tartt's The Secret History, once you open these pages you really will never want to leave.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars a novel of oceanic proportions 20 Oct 2009
By LittleMoon TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Never judge a book by its cover goes the old saying, and one I usually agree with, but exceptions can always be made, and The Sea, The Sea ended up on my reading pile thanks primarily to its cover - simplicity and curly waves.

Thankfully, neither the cover, nor the title let me down, and within the first few pages I was hooked on the quirky, ponderous descriptions of the ocean. The first section of the book is called "Prehistory" and will prove a stumbling block for many readers who don't delight in detail and description: the house, the coast, daily routines and every meal seem to be covered. Bar the sea-monster sighting - or is it an hallucination? - nothing "happens" in the first 97 pages, but our narrator, Charles Arrowby, tells us a great deal about himself, and thus the stage is set for the main act.

The second part (and bulk) of the novel is "History" and it must be said that the pace picks up considerably. Having left his successful theatrical life behind him, Charles has retired to a dilapidated house by the sea for complete solitude, but the living skeletons from his closet begin leaping out all over the place. The realms of probability are stretched to the limit as eccentric ex-showbiz type characters fall over themselves to appear in melodramatic circumstances, and no less fantastical is the appearance of Arrowby's long lost childhood sweetheart. The story recounts his increasingly desperate and far-fetched attempts to win her back, whilst juggling jealous ex-lovers, with a little murder and mayhem thrown in for good measure.

Eventually, in "Life Goes On", his own post-script, Arrowby brings us up to date with the stories of the colourful characters still left... and there's nothing ordinary here either.... Read more ›
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A lyrical masterpiece 13 Feb 2002
By Christopher Twain
Format:Paperback
I was gripped after reading the first few pages of Murdoch's book, and immediately fell in love with her vivid descriptive style. The book cleverly shifts its shape as it develops and the characters are not who you think they are. Like the sea it has many layers. A haunting and lyrical masterpiece.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Magical 10 Nov 2003
By blackeyedsoosan
Format:Paperback
The Sea The Sea is a portrait of a man who, Prospero like, retires to live in solitude by the sea and declares himself to have abjured the magic and illusion which have been woven into his career in the theatre. Becoming obsessed with a childhood sweetheart who by coincidence is living in the village, he sets in motion a chain of events which throw a spotlight onto his own psyche and its attitudes towards love, jealousy and the nature of the world.
This complex novel is in turn an intelligent study of a man towards the end of his life, a nostaligic story of love, and a gripping tale of madness. Set against the alluring menace of the sea, it will charm and entrance you throughout.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars 1970's Gothic Farce anyone? 13 May 2008
By Annie M
Format:Paperback
In writing The Sea The Sea it seems that Iris Murdoch has invented a brand new genre - 1970's gothic farce. All of the characters are either deeply dull, maddeningly egocentric or just plain mad and inhabit a gloomy, unreal and claustrophobic space. Charles Arrowby is a wholly unsympathetic character: a self-centred snob who sets out to wreck the marriage of a woman he loved a lifetime ago and someone whose sanity could be called into question. Characters appear an disappear with farcical timing and the whole novel has an almost completely unsatisfying ending leaving the reader with seemingly more questions than answers.

And yet... this is a novel written with such skill and insight and truth. It was, in some ways, a risky move to write this story in the first person given that our narraror has so many unappealing and, at points, nasty and frightening elements to his character. But this, I think, is testament to Iris Murdoch's skill as a writer - that she gives us someone as thoroughly dislikable as Charles Arrowby for our narrator but still manages to show us the truth and the beauty of love.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing piece of work. Multilayered and beautifully written
What an authoress. I have been meaning to read this book for years (it is a bit dated) and I was not disappointed. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sweetie
3.0 out of 5 stars Huge Chapters!
Bought on my Kindle, I had no idea how big the book was. Nice easy read, but didn't really go anywhere.
Published 2 months ago by Nicky
4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful but long
I really enjoyed this book but I did find it a bit never ending. It is beautifully written and a story well told, so well worth reading, but probably important to approach it with... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Louis the cat
5.0 out of 5 stars The Past is Better Left
Charles, a theatre impressario, retires to a quaint and quirky cottage by the sea to escape from his previous lifestyle. Read more
Published 5 months ago by puddleglum
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book
I think this is one of Iris Murdoch's best books. The book can be read at a very superficial level and taken at face value - Charles leaves the theatrical profession and retires to... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Aysgarth
3.0 out of 5 stars 200 pages too long.
One of those books that is well written but nothing much goes on for the majority of this work.It has a couple of minor climaxes but they wain quickly. Read more
Published 5 months ago by concerned shopper 1
3.0 out of 5 stars A novel of the emotions
This is a story of people from the world of the theatre and their relations within that circle and of the romantic obsession of the principal character which impinges on the lives... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Gerontiius
4.0 out of 5 stars Just fine
Just fine, a normal paperback, the price is Ok and the edition is what it was expected.I hope I enjoy the reading now.
Published 6 months ago by maite irazu
3.0 out of 5 stars The Sea The Sea: Distinctly Average
Charles Arrowby, the notorious actor-director in British theatre, retires to an isolated and desolate coastal house, many miles away from welcoming civilisation and his extravagant... Read more
Published 6 months ago by poisonemma
3.0 out of 5 stars The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
This book was first published some thirty years ago. The style is typical Iris Murdoch but although I started off enjoying it, I was struggling towards the end which is... Read more
Published 6 months ago by S. M. Pettit
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

    Your Shopping Basket is empty.

    Give it purpose -- fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics and more.

    If you already have an account, sign in.

    There's a problem previewing your shopping basket at the moment.

    Check your Internet connection and go to your cart, or try again.

    View Shopping Basket (0 items)

      Customer Discussions

      This product's forum
      Discussion Replies Latest Post
      No discussions yet

      Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
      Start a new discussion
      Topic:
      First post:
      Prompts for sign-in
       


      Active discussions in related forums
      Discussion Replies Latest Post
      fiction discussion forum
      Come on - why don't we write our own book right here in the fiction forum ? I'll do the first sentence, and then jump in....hold on, here we go...       		7204 5 minutes ago
      fiction discussion forum
      Nobody reads on the loo do they ? not really - and yet so many people have books in the loo !       		0 20 minutes ago
      fiction discussion forum
      What are you reading now?       		8444 1 hour ago
      fiction discussion forum
      What is the POINT of zombie novels, exactly?       		133 2 hours ago
      fiction discussion forum
      Self-published books: pain or gain?       		6113 3 hours ago
      fiction discussion forum
      Ideas for gentle reads for more mature people       		65 6 hours ago
      fiction discussion forum
      Can anyone recommend a good book       		91 7 hours ago
      fiction discussion forum
      Fed up with all the books not having an Ending?       		33 7 hours ago
      Search Customer Discussions
      Search all Amazon discussions
         
      Related forums

      Listmania!

      Create a Listmania! list

      Look for similar items by category

      Feedback


      Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges