Elegy for Iris [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

In one of literary history's ghastlier ironies, Iris Murdoch, the author of such highly intellectual and philosophical novels as A Severed Head and Under the Net, was diagnosed in 1994 with Alzheimer's disease, which slowly destroys reasoning powers, memory, even the ability to speak coherently. Her husband, English literary critic John Bayley, unsparingly depicts his wife's affliction in prose as elegant and accessible as hers always was. Readers may wince at the spectacle of Murdoch glued to the TV watching the Teletubbies program, unable to perform tasks as simple as dressing herself and prey to devastating anxiety as the world becomes less and less comprehensible to her. We understand Bayley's occasional fits of rage when his caretaking chores overwhelm him. Yet in the end his memoir is touching, even inspiring. As he recalls their first meetings and marriage in the 1950s, it becomes clear that theirs was always an unconventional union, in which solitude was as important to each of them as togetherness and Bayley was content to let Murdoch keep her inner life to herself. He loves Iris, the woman, not the intellect, and he conveys an essential sweetness about his wife that endures even as her mental faculties deteriorate. This totally unsentimental account of their life and her illness is nonetheless a heartbreaker. --Wendy Smith -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

A sweet if somewhat old-fashioned memoir about a literary marriage. Bayley, author of the novel The Red Hat and a noted critic, met novelist and philosopher Dame Iris Murdoch (Jackson's Dilemma, 1996, etc.) while he was teaching at Oxford's St. Anthony's College and instantly came under her sway. Though Murdoch was less quick to return his affection, she too fell in love after a delightfully disastrous date in which a well-advertised restaurant served them ``nasty'' food and Murdoch herself fell down some stairs on her way to the dance floor; these mishaps unearthed the couple's deepest connection: a fine sense of humor, indeed, their joy in private jokes and laughs. In her time, Murdoch was a woman of unconventional intelligence and independenceshe had a long string of lovers, did not want children, had an almost slovenly disregard for her appearance, and was in no hurry to get married, though she never seems to have doubted that Bayley should be the groom. Using flashbacks, Bayley lightens his accounts of Murdoch's present disappearance into Alzheimer's disease with happier memories of their long, comfortable life together, a life filled with trips, summer swims, and pleasure in books. Bayley clearly adores and admires his celebrated wife, and his care of her illness is a model of devotion. This unalloyed affection is refreshingly sweet, but too often his descriptions of Murdoch edge over into the saccharinefor him she is ``Christ-like''and the result is an unusual lack of insight into her abilities. Would the woman who never took any interest in children really have ``looked after [her own child] better and more conscientiously than most mothers, and no doubt would have brought it up better, too''? Nonetheless, this seems an appropriate error for a loving husband to make, and the book's intimate tone will surely please both his fans and hers. (6 b&w photos, not seen) (First serial to the New Yorker) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

English author and philosopher Iris Murdoch is best known for her novels, which are filled with characters embroiled in philosophical conflicts. In this memoir, her husband, a renowned literary critic, presents his insights into her creativity, her personality, and their relationship. Even after 42 years of marriage, Murdoch remains an enigma to him. Though he always felt safe and comfortable with her?"protected from the world"?he had "no idea of what she was doing or how." She seemed to spread "an involuntary aura of beneficence and goodwill," yet it was in her ceaseless invention that she seemed to live most fully. Reminiscences of the past are juxtaposed with the reality of the present, in which Bayley tries to cope with the daily frustrations of caring for Murdoch now that she has Alzheimer's disease. His bouts of worry, anger, and pity are always tempered by his deep concern for her welfare. This book will appeal to Murdoch fans and is appropriate for public and academic libraries.?Ilse Heidmann, San Marcos, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

"I was living in a fairy story - the kind with sinister overtones and not always a happy ending - in which a young man loves a beautiful maiden who returns his love but is always disappearing into some unknown and mysterious world, about which she will reveal nothing."

So John Bayley describes his life with his wife, Iris Murdoch, one of the greatest contemporary writers in the English-speaking world, revered for her works of philosophy and beloved for her incandescent novels.

In Elegy for Iris, Bayley attempts to uncover the real Iris, whose mysterious world took on darker shades as she descended into Alzheimer's disease. Elegy for Iris is a joyous memoir about the beauty of youth and of aging, and a celebration of a brilliant life and an undying love. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Taschenbuch .

"In its evocation of the lyrical, the comic and the tragic, this splendid book enlarges our imagination of the range and possibilities of love." --Mary Gordon, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Here is love heroic, love that doesn't hedge, love for which there are no ready outs, love that feels as inevitable as breathing, and the result is stunning." --Abraham Verghese, THE LOS ANGELES TIME BOOK REVIEW

"Beautiful and heartbreaking. Full of spirit, generous and resilient." --Gail Caldwell, THE BOSTON GLOBE

"Magnificently, hauntingly humane." --Michael Pakenham, THE BALTIMORE SUN

"A beautifully rendered portrait.... Elegy for Iris celebrates the victory of life--and love." --Wendell Brock, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

"A heart-melting love story and an erudite inquiry into the nature of personality, memory, and invention. Wise and full of grace." --Shelby Hearon, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"Heartfelt and admirably unsentimental....a testament to a love that has endured and transcended the most terrifying ravages of illness and old age." -Francine Prose, ELLE

"Dame Iris Murdoch's like will not be seen again. Elegy for Iris serves as a memorial to her person." -Fay Weldon, TIME

"In Elegy for Iris, I find shared lives, and hurts and forgivenesses, and joys that are greatest because nobody else knows them." --Dan Rather -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Taschenbuch .

John Bayley is an eminent literary critic who taught at Oxford for more than thirty years, and was chairman of the Booker Prize Committee. He lives in Oxford. Iris Murdoch died on February 8, 1999. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Taschenbuch .