Set in London and in the South of France, this brilliantly structured novel centers on two women: Gertrude Openshaw, bereft from the recent death of her husband, yet awakening to passion; and Anne Cavidge, who has returned in doubt from many years in a nunnery, only to encounter her personal Christ. A fascinating array of men and women hover in urgent orbit around them: the "Count," a lonely Pole obsessively reliving his eacutemigreacute father's patriotic anguish; Tim Reede, a seedy yet appealing artist, and Daisy, his mistress; the manipulative Mrs. Mount; and many other magically drawn characters moving between desire and obligation, guilt and joy. This edition of Nuns and Soldiers includes a new introduction by renowned religious historian Karen Armstrong.
An ill-assorted couple--Gertrude, an upper-class woman and Tim, a blue collar worker--manage to live happily ever after despite the dire predictions of their friends.
- Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres, Fiction + Literature Themes
- Subgenre: Love + Relationships + Sex, Classics, General, Arts + Entertainment, Peoples + Cultures, Human Qualities + Behavior, Conflicts + Dualities, Family + Friendship, Types of Characters
- Publisher: Penguin Classics
- Pages: 492
- Edition: Reprint
- Language: English
- Format: paperback
- Release Date: August 1, 2002
- Date Published: August 1, 2002
- Author: Iris Murdoch