The Book and the Brotherhood

By Iris Murdoch

This novel portrays a circle of old friends who cling obsessively to their past selves. It’s about the magnetic, destructive charisma that a person can exercise, and the power of nostalgia to warp lives. The opening scene – a May ball in Oxford, the occasion of various crises – is unforgettable.
~ James Cahill

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Publish Date: 1987

It’s the midsummer ball at Oxford, and a group of men and women – friends since university days – have gathered under the stars. Included in this group is David Crimond, a genius and fervent Marxist. Years earlier the friends had persuaded David to write a philosophical and political book on their behalf. But opinions and loyalties have changed, and on this summer evening the long-resting ghosts of the past come careering back into the present.