Henry and Cato - by Iris Murdoch (Paperback)

About the Book

"As children growing up in the English countryside, Henry Marshalson and Cato Forbes were inseparable. But as time went on, their lives took different paths. For Henry, whose older brother would inherit his father's estate, the United States called, with a professorship to teach art history, while Cato devoted himself to the Catholic priesthood and a mission in London. But when Henry's brother dies, leaving him sole heir to his family's vast estate, Henry and Cato find themselves connecting once more and reexamining the paths their lives have taken"--Publisher marketing.

Book Synopsis

Reunited childhood friends confront their longings and failures in this "engaging" novel by a Man Booker Prize-winning author (The New York Times).

As children growing up in the English countryside, Henry Marshalson and Cato Forbes were inseparable. But, as time went on, their lives took different paths. For Henry, whose older brother would inherit his father's estate, the United States called, with a professorship to teach art history, while Cato devoted himself to the Catholic priesthood and a mission in London. But when Henry's brother dies, leaving him sole heir to his family's vast estate, Henry and Cato find themselves connecting once more and reexamining the paths their lives have taken.

As Henry struggles to come to terms with his personal passions and family obligations, and Cato fights against his religious doubts and darker urges, both men find themselves entwined in a deadly intrigue that could ruin not only their lives but also the lives of those they hold dear.

A dizzying display of complex plotting, Henry and Cato was praised as "Murdoch's finest novel" by Joyce Carol Oates, a spectacular combination of thrilling action and moral philosophizing that will leave readers spellbound.

Review Quotes

"Literally spectacular. . . . Engaging and striking." --The New York Times

Praise for Iris Murdoch
"Murdoch was the rare kind of great, buoyant, confident writer who could drive the whole machine. She was as in touch with animal instincts as intellectual ones." --Dwight Garner, The New York Times

"One of the most significant novelists of her generation." --The Guardian

About the Author

Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) is the author of twenty-six novels, including Under the Net, The Black Prince, and The Sea, The Sea, as well as several plays and a volume of poetry. Murdoch taught philosophy at Oxford before leaving to write fulltime, winning such literary awards as the Booker Prize and the PEN Gold Pen for Distinguished Service to Literature.