Under The Net (Vintage Classics)
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Review
`A brilliant book about language and its inability to express certain things' --The Daily Express
Elizabeth Jane Howard
‘This is a comedy with that touch of ferocity about it which makes for excitement’
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Published in 1954, Under the Net is an entertaining novel about one season in Jake Donaghue's life. Jake is a 30-ish writer in London whose specialty is translating French novels to English to earn money, which he hasn't much of, and he hasn't written anything original for sometime. Despite being semi-dependent on friends for survival (and a strong aversion for actual work), he seems very likeable, generous, loyal, and would not compromise his ideals for easy money. He is living everyone's romantic version of poverty, where everything works out and he's never actually desperate, in fact it's a bit too fantastic how he gets out of trouble sometimes, chasing one urgency (a long lost love or friendship he has to repair) after the next. But it's a feel good book because of that, and maybe in post-World War II London all this was not impossible. In the end, this very impressionable and impetuous character is more wise, has writing and employment plans, and is just as poor.
Jake's fascinating friends also add entertainment - the social climbing Madge and her friendly/devious fiancé Sammie the bookie, Jake's strangely loyal "assistant" Finn, his socialist filmmaker friend Hugo, and the attractive Quentin sisters who are two corners of a sad, 4-way unrequited love structure. Something exciting or dangerous is always happening.
The novel is also filled with nuggets of wisdom from Murdoch, that you can't help but feel she's pondered a lot on love, the intellectual life (vs. accomplishing work on a daily basis), and many other things. She describes swimming and judo with such zeal you feel it is something she has done, rather than just having researched on it. Perhaps it should not have been told in the first person because at times it does not sound like the thoughts of an immature male writer who is still finding himself, but someone wiser. It takes thirty pages (out of 286) to get going and I'm not sure everyone will relate to Jake's character, but it's certainly a worthwhile read.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I audibly laughed through half the scenes of this amazing first novel. It is a great thing to make someone laugh out loud while reading and this book did it continually. Whether it be the point where Jake Donaghue sits outside Sadie's flat listening to the "plot" against him with the neighbours poking him to see what he'll do or the superhero stunts of Jake and Hugo at the Roman set saving Lefty. I couldn't stop myself from laughing at the clever wit of the situation. But, what is amazing is that behind all of this there are deep philosophical thoughts at work, but the spaciousness of these thoughts never intrude upon the enjoyability of the story. It is similar in that way to Bellow's Henderson the Rain King, but the comedy in this is up a few notches more. The story is deeply routed in London (with a side-trip to Paris) and this location no doubt gives all the more joy to readers familiar to the area with its deep descriptions of particular sections and jabs at the reputations of others. Yet, this too did not detract from the book's enjoyability because of the eloquence of her descriptions. "When caught unawares," Jake reflects, "I usually tell the truth, and what's duller that that." The book is one long reflection and so, according to this line, we are thenceforth suspicious of all we are told. Many points of his memory are probably deeply exaggerated and this would explain some of the all too convenient coincidences. But, who cares? It's a good, entertaining story. Ultimately, Murdoch is presenting a rather ideal view of the independent will of the free spirit. Jake's hope is neatly set forth at the end. But the ideals of living in regards to work and love, wealth and fame seem to be given a manageable frame in which to work in. What Murdoch seems to be saying is that we must be swept along by the course of our own story and not be caught "under the net." The old argument which Bellow echoes also of Being and Becoming. Living, not without reflection, but containing the dialogue between oneself and existence within because once it is set out on paper it becomes a story, not life. "The substance of my life is a private conversation with myself which to turn into a dialogue would be equivalent to self destruction." Jake is learning to live more fully by instinct and self-forgetfulness. He is learning to allow other people's point of views into his own life. He finds that by constantly looking only within himself he isn't able to see anyone there. The being has left.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is existential slapstick comedy. 'Life will drag you which ever way fate decrees,' it seems to tell us, 'so you might as well enjoy the ride.' It's anti-hero Jake Donaghue is a likeable rogue who manages to come up smiling from a series of bizarre set piece comic situations in which he finds himself enmeshed: a Roman film-set and the kidnapping of an acting dog being two of the most unlikely. It is possible to overrate this book as some kind of philosophical treatise. That seems to have happened a bit since the sad death of its author. But in reality it is an enjoyable romp written by the young Iris Murdoch about a 1950s London which must have seemed full of fun and possibilities. It's a good read, and it will make you laugh, a strong enough reason to give it a go surely?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Useful item
I am a teacher and I think that this book could be useful to talk about a nice novel with my pupils.
Published 13 months ago by Francesco
Superb novel, mixed Kindle experience.
I loved the novel. Gently funny and uplifting - a coming of age novel of sorts, I suppose.
The Kindle experience is what annoyed me - the text conversion seems to have... Read more
The Kindle experience is what annoyed me - the text conversion seems to have... Read more
Published 16 months ago by J. Goretzki
Well ahead of it's time.
If i didn't know it was from the mid 50's, i would say it was a book from the 90's. I found the story intriguing and funny, everyone knows a person like Jake, and it's hilarious to... Read more
Published on 13 Jun 2009 by J. Turner
Over The Top
Iris Murdoch's impressive debut novel remains as fresh and funny today as when she wrote it, over fifty years ago. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2008 by Rotgut
wonderful wonderful
I loved this romp through fifties London from the very word go. It's entertaining, and a delightful escape. Read more
Published on 25 July 2006 by a nice guy
Fluffy soap.
This begins elegantly and is so readable. You find yourself in Mrs Tinckhams and gently drifting into the story with the first person. Read more
Published on 16 May 2006 by Mark Dickens
witty, wise, entertaining, phylosophical
A highly entertaining while also phylosophical and thought provoking novel written in a plain, yet poetic, smooth and captivating style that is characteristic of all Iris Murdoch's... Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2002
This is a book ahead of its time with its ironic anti-hero.
Under the Net seems like a book from the 90s, not 1954, with its theme that life is a bunch of meaningless events to which only the individual assigns meanings. Read more
Published on 22 May 2000
What a debut!!!
I almost gave the book five stars had it not been for some problems and unclarities in the plot. However, when one notices that this is Iris Murdoch's first novel these minor... Read more
Published on 15 Jun 1999
Boring aimlessly written 'comic' book without humour
If my memory serves me correctly it was said to be her first published work. If this is the case how it ever got into print amazes me. Read more
Published on 13 Jun 1999
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