A Fairly Honourable DefeatAn exploration of love and its excesses, missteps, and modest triumphs, from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea, The Sea In a dark comedy of errors, Iris Murdoch portrays the mischief wrought by Julius, a cynical intellectual who decides to demonstrate through a Machiavellian experiment how easily loving couples, caring friends, and devoted siblings can betray their loyalties. As puppet master, Julius artfully plays on the human tendency to embrace drama and intrigue and to prefer the distraction of confrontations to the difficult effort of communicating openly and honestly. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
afraid arms asked Axel Axel's began believe blue called chair closed clothes coming course dark darling dear don't door dress drink everything expect eyes face fact feel felt give glass hair half hand happened happy head Hilda hold hope human idea imagine it's Julius Julius's keep kind kitchen knew later leave letters light live look matter mean mind Morgan moved natural never once perhaps person Peter pieces pulled remember roses round Rupert seemed seen sense Simon simply sitting someone sorry sort sound stop suddenly suppose sure talk Tallis tears tell terribly Thank There's things thought told took touch tried turned understand wait walked whole window wish wonder worry write