Living on Paper: Letters from Iris Murdoch, 1934-1995

"This collection of letters provides a fascinating insight into the life of a complex and important novelist. It is a wonderful book." --Alexander McCall Smith "I remember seeing Iris Murdoch toward the end of her life at a party: despite her illness, her expression was joyous, serene, and intent--almost Buddha-like. These qualities come through strongly in this remarkable collection of letters. We find a passionate engagement with the world of ideas, but most of all with friends, lovers, and pupils. These letters reveal Murdoch's extraordinary talent for affection, exuberant sense of fun, razor-sharp intelligence, and acute awareness of the transcendent." --Karen Armstrong, author of The Spiral Staircase "Few writers comprehend the murky human messiness of desire like Iris Murdoch, or could plot like her, and these letters show us why. Her life--the multiple lovers, the emotional strain, the terrible food, the nuns and prizes and philosophy--was chaos. She'll always be my favorite writer; now I understand why." --Charlotte Mendelson, author of When We Were Bad "Reading these letters is like living Murdoch's whole creatively, sexually, and intellectually voracious life alongside her, and at breakneck speed. Thrilling." --Sarah Bakewell, author of How to Live: A Life of Montaigne