Iris Murdoch, The Unicorn

Cheryl Bove (Independent Scholar - North America)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Kerry Myler (Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1963

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

The isolated west coast of Ireland, with its ancient dolmens and megaliths, great cliffs of black sandstone, dark coastline, killing sea, dangerous bogs, caves, and underground rivers, provides the compelling setting of The Unicorn. Although Iris Murdoch eschews the term Gothic novel as being too narrow, five of her novels strongly emphasize Gothic motifs, and The Unicorn is among those that have received critical acclaim. The novel abounds in legends and in magical signs and occasions, yet it also develops topics central to Murdoch's moral philosophy. When she discussed The Unicorn at a conference at l'université de Caen, Murdoch noted the connection between the Cluny tapestries and the idea of purity and …

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1240 words

Citation: Bove, Cheryl. "The Unicorn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2003 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8019, accessed 24 November 2024.]

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