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kirinmccrory's review
4.0
"maybe every human creature carries some such inescapable burden. that is being human. a very weird affair."
tsehai's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tiborius's review
5.0
This book was a very pleasant surprise for me. Lately I have been picking up more books at the thrift store, simply based on the blurb and often I will look up the rating on here. The Green Knight was one such book.
Murdoch knows how to write a character. The perspective often shifts around between a few members of a small circle of friends in London, and all of these people seem to leap off the page. They are all certainly characters, yet they feel so much like people you could actually run into and meet. Murdoch does not over-describe their appearances, but does so enough that I had a clear picture in my mind for each of them.
Although there is a certain mystery in the plot, the book mainly revolves around the psychology of the people you meet. This may not be for everyone, but personally I do enjoy quite slow-burn stories and diving into characters’ thoughts and motivations. This is combined with numerous references to literature, art and spirituality, elements which I very much enjoyed but does not make it the most accessible read. It also expects that the reader has some basic knowledge of French, as French terms and sentences are not translated.
This is not to put potential readers off, as the story does in fact have many twists and turns that keep you on your toes, and made me at least, desperately curious to see where all this would be going.
In the beginning, I was a bit confused as to when the story was taking place. The way people live and dress initially made me think it was set maybe in the 1960s, only later it became clear to me that it was set in the early 1990s.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for something to cozy up with on a rainy afternoon.
Murdoch knows how to write a character. The perspective often shifts around between a few members of a small circle of friends in London, and all of these people seem to leap off the page. They are all certainly characters, yet they feel so much like people you could actually run into and meet. Murdoch does not over-describe their appearances, but does so enough that I had a clear picture in my mind for each of them.
Although there is a certain mystery in the plot, the book mainly revolves around the psychology of the people you meet. This may not be for everyone, but personally I do enjoy quite slow-burn stories and diving into characters’ thoughts and motivations. This is combined with numerous references to literature, art and spirituality, elements which I very much enjoyed but does not make it the most accessible read. It also expects that the reader has some basic knowledge of French, as French terms and sentences are not translated.
This is not to put potential readers off, as the story does in fact have many twists and turns that keep you on your toes, and made me at least, desperately curious to see where all this would be going.
In the beginning, I was a bit confused as to when the story was taking place. The way people live and dress initially made me think it was set maybe in the 1960s, only later it became clear to me that it was set in the early 1990s.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for something to cozy up with on a rainy afternoon.
imstewart23's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
johnclough's review
2.0
This had a lot of the ingredients for a great Murdoch story, and there were a few flashes of brilliance. On the whole, though, this one totally missed the mark. The characters all fell somewhere on the spectrum between unrelatable and intolerable, the writing often felt immature and self-indulgent, and exploration of concepts felt cursory and confused rather than incisive and profound. This is the opposite of what I expect from Murdoch, who's writing, right from her debut, was so alive and brilliant. To see that brilliance fade to occasional flashes was disappointing.
And yet, I can forgive Murdoch this misstep with ease. She was well into her 70s by the time she wrote The Green Knight - that she could still write something with any moments of brilliance at that point in her life is worthy of note. One of the biggest issues with the novel is how out of place it felt being set in the mid-90s. There were two summers of love between 1958 and 1993, but Murdoch was still writing about sex and relationships in almost the same way as she was in The Bell, from that year. Indeed, throughout the whole novel, it felt as though a liberal intellectual set from the 50s had time travelled to 90s London. What felt radical before felt extremely out of place in a city of rave music and HIV epidemics. I can't blame Murdoch for losing touch, though that does nothing to redeem The Green Knight.
And yet, I can forgive Murdoch this misstep with ease. She was well into her 70s by the time she wrote The Green Knight - that she could still write something with any moments of brilliance at that point in her life is worthy of note. One of the biggest issues with the novel is how out of place it felt being set in the mid-90s. There were two summers of love between 1958 and 1993, but Murdoch was still writing about sex and relationships in almost the same way as she was in The Bell, from that year. Indeed, throughout the whole novel, it felt as though a liberal intellectual set from the 50s had time travelled to 90s London. What felt radical before felt extremely out of place in a city of rave music and HIV epidemics. I can't blame Murdoch for losing touch, though that does nothing to redeem The Green Knight.
anatomydetective's review
3.0
I suppose this was a comedy, in that it ends with more marriages than deaths. As some of you may have noticed, tidy endings are a pet peeve of mine. They don't ring true. Life is messy. This novel was far too tidy in its ending, but I truly did enjoy getting there. I still need to give it more thought.