Iris Murdoch

Date of Birth: July 15, 1919

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: February 8, 1999

Biography

Iris Murdoch was a renowned British novelist and philosopher, best known for her profound and intricate novels that often explored themes of morality, love, and the complexities of human relationships. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Iris Murdoch was an only child, and her family moved to London when she was very young. She was educated at Badminton School in Bristol and later at Somerville College, Oxford, where she studied Classics, Ancient History, and Philosophy. After Oxford, she worked for the United Nations and later as a lecturer in philosophy at St Anne’s College, Oxford. Murdoch published her first novel, “Under the Net,” in 1954. The book was well-received and established her as a significant literary figure. Over the next four decades, she wrote 25 more novels, including “The Bell,” “A Severed Head,” “The Black Prince,” and “The Sea, the Sea,” which won the Booker Prize in 1978. Her works are known for their philosophical depth, intricate plots, and rich character development. In addition to her novels, Murdoch wrote several philosophical works, essays, and plays. She was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1987 for her contributions to literature. Murdoch’s later years were marked by her struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, which led to a decline in her writing and public appearances. She passed away on February 8, 1999, leaving behind a legacy of literary and philosophical contributions that continue to be studied and admired.

5 Interesting Facts about Iris Murdoch

1. Iris Murdoch was the first woman to win the prestigious Booker Prize for her novel “The Sea, the Sea” in 1978.

2. She was a part of the intellectual circle that included notable figures such as Raymond Queneau, with whom she had a close friendship.

3. Murdoch was also a talented philosopher and published several works on ethics and existentialism, including “The Sovereignty of Good” and “Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals.”

4. She was married to John Bayley, a fellow writer and academic, who later wrote a memoir about their life together, particularly focusing on her battle with Alzheimer’s.

5. Murdoch’s novels often featured complex philosophical themes and drew heavily from her interest in existentialism, often exploring the moral and ethical dilemmas of her characters.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Iris Murdoch

1. “Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real.”

2. “We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.”

3. “Happiness is a matter of one’s most ordinary and everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self.”

4. “The absolute yearning of one human body for another particular body and its indifference to substitutes is one of life’s major mysteries.”

5. “Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the height of her career, Iris Murdoch’s net worth was estimated to be around $10 million, primarily accrued from her successful writing career, book sales, and literary awards.