Iris Murdoch Lit Bros: A Typology

Loosely based on a series of conversations I have had with my fellow Iris Murdoch-enjoyer friends over the years.

Obsessed with Demonic Men:

-Read The Black Prince once, convinced he is Bradley Pearson

-claims to be dangerous and Machiavellian because he thinks it will make him more interesting to women, really just kind of emotionally messy

-is actually George McCaffery from The Philosopher’s Pupil

“Iris Murdoch’s Novels are About Virtue!”

-has read Iris Murdoch’s philosophy

-very sympathetic to her characters, even the bad ones

-reads all of her works, including the farces, through the lens of emotional sincerity

Feckless Husband Stan:

-thinks Rupert in A Fairly Honorable Defeat was done dirty and will definitely tell you all about it

-“the husbands are consistently overlooked but actually are the best models for how to be in the world”

-potentially used to be obsessed with demonic men, but has now grown up and is comfortable in the knowledge that What is Best in Life is to be Just Some Guy.

-very likely a Wife Guy

“Iris Murdoch Was a Communist”/Political Iris Murdoch-Enjoyer:

-tweets about how Iris Murdoch was a communist: “this is based.”

Just Wants to Abandon Human Society and Live in a Seaside Cottage:

-read The Sea, The Sea once

-no themes, head empty, just really into the isolated cottage life

-honestly kinda into all the weird food that Charles Arrowby makes for himself

-Has the Paris Review article about cooking with Iris Murdoch bookmarked