Reviews for Sandcastle

The average rating for Sandcastle based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-12-28 00:00:00 Stephen Benson 4.5 stars This is Iris Murdoch�s third novel. It revolves around Bill Mor, a middle-aged teacher in a minor public school. He has a wife (Nan) and two children (Donald and Felicity). He also has some political ambitions; to stand as a Labour Candidate in a local parliamentary seat. He hasn�t yet had the courage to tell his wife as she will be opposed to this and generally gets her own way. Into this situation comes Rain Carter; a talented painter almost half Bill�s age. She is there to paint a portrait of the former headmaster. Rain and Bill fall in love with each other and Bill is then torn between his family and the prospect of happiness and a different life with Rain. There are twists, turns and workings out. There are elements of tragedy and comedy in fairly equal measure and Murdoch rather expertly makes it difficult for the reader to see where one ends and the other starts. There are a number of oddities in this; I am no expert in the nature of human attraction, but it was not immediately obvious why Rain fell for Mor. He was indecisive and rather lacking in personal charisma; both are also quite unworldly and Mor seeks to avoid confrontations (mostly with his wife). Murdoch uses a number of literary devices to move the story along and to provoke thought; letters being read by those not meant to read them, accidental encounters and the mysterious tramp/gypsy whose appearance seems to be a precursor to trouble. The characterisation is good and although the plot may be slow, it is never dull. The sandcastle of the title may be symbolic of the impermanence of hopes and dreams. All of the characters have lost something by the end, had some hope or other dashed. Murdoch does a very good job of illuminating the everyday hopes and despairs of ordinary people in a subtle and understated way. A good novel which reminds me that I must read more Murdoch.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-06-24 00:00:00 Dan Formica �The Sandcastle� (1957) was Iris Murdoch�s third published novel and is far less well known than the much later, much revered and Booker prize winning �The Sea, The Sea�. �Sandcastle� tells the story of schoolteacher Mor, his wife Nan and Rain � the young woman who is tasked with painting a portrait of the school�s Headmaster and the subsequent disturbance and disquiet caused by her arrival. It is the story of a closed world and the impact of the outsider � Rain Carter and all she brings with her from the world outside. It is a story combining themes of love, desire, guilt, control, power, reality and fantasy. It is a story where reality, destiny and defeatism meet fantasy and a free and dream like state where seemingly everything just might be possible. �Sandcastle� is a strong story and the narrative is well paced throughout. Murdoch�s characterisation is for the most part, outstanding and has a real feel of authenticity to it � especially the main protagonist Bill Mor. There is much ambiguity throughout �Sandcastle� right up to the closing pages � providing the novel with much intrigue, mystery and interest concerning the possibilities that life offers, be they real and/or imagined. Murdoch also includes sporadic elements of magical realism � which in one sense don�t feel at first as though they quite work, or sit well in the context of the rest of the story and it is not clear quite what they do add to an already driven narrative. And yet� it is these elements that do help develop and drive the novel�s overall intrigue, mysterious nature and air of ambiguity. �Sandcastle� can be read on various levels � as a relatively straightforward love story, or on a much more metaphorical basis � indeed metaphor is strong throughout; the books title �Sandcastle� itself being a case in point. This is the first Murdoch that I have read thus far � but based on the strength of �The Sandcastle� I will surely be endeavouring to search out more of Murdoch�s novels.