I loved this book. Read it in Paris over baguette with butter and jam and yummy coffee. Gothic, mysterious, with characters whose pain seems as real as their situation seems absurd. ( )

I love LibraryThing to read what other ordinary people think, but for the first time I find that other readers' comments about Iris Murdoch's The Unicorn have not resonated with me at all. The narrative has a strong "manufactured" feel about it which immediately undermines any value it may generate. A lot of readers focus on its Gothic characteristics, which says nothing about the story, its message and its ideas. For me its the religious angle that defines this book and allows you to make any sense of the story. The title says it all - the unicorn's allegorical meanings is both that of the beguiled lovers and that of the Christ figure - a mix of pagan and christian elements. Ultimately the book is about redemption.

Marian, a strongly independent 30-yr old single woman from London, sensing her boyfriend is just not that into her and unlikely to lead to marriage, takes on the job of a governess at a remote mansion. When she gets there, effectively cut off from the rest of the world, she discovers there are no children and that she is to be the companion of the mistress of the household, Hannah, a woman only a few years older than herself, and abandoned by her husband. The arrangements in the household seem very odd and Marian quickly understands that Hannah is being kept here like a prisoner and the household staff are her gaolers. What is more unnerving is that Hannah appears to accept her circumstances. The story unfolds with Marian learning more of the circumstances that have led to the current arrangements and the personalities and the relationships between the household staff and the only neighbour in the district. An attempt to rescue Hannah from her predicament fails and triggers the sequence of events that lead to the dramatic conclusion of the story.

The story only serves as the vehicle to explore the themes of sexuality and the role of Christ. Basic urges create a diverse range of relationships and outcomes with which the characters have been forced to deal with varying degrees of success and varying implications for others involved, resulting in seemingly impossible circumstances to resolve. The Gothic genre is great to convey these two themes and a lot of Classical and Shakespearean references are made to emphasize other traits. Hannah, seemingly the most confined of all the characters, willingly bearing her confinement, acts like the redeemer of those around her, releasing them from the chains of their past actions to allow them to live again.

Although the book was easy to read it was not a satisfying one. ( )

Again a bit less compelling after the heights of The Bell and A Severed Head. But a lot of classic Murdoch tropes here, the sea, a set of people with intertwined and mysterious relationships between them, a newcomer upsetting the balance. ( )

The Unicorn didn't convince as a novel. Murdoch's characters so often are caught in a merry-go-round of slightly mad behaviour; we expect that. But these particular characters are pasted into an attempt at Gothic style and milieu that leaves one dissatisfied. Aside from acting bonkers in this remote setting, the cast are unremarkable.
No one is ever developed satisfactorily, least of all Marian, the protagonist who arrives on the scene an unremarkable steady sort of young woman and soon is overwhelmed by the presence of Hannah, the Unicorn, herself.
Leave this until late in your Murdoch reading - there are better nuggets elsewhere.

Subpar Murdoch. Unless you are a Murdoch completist or really like neo-gothic novels, I wouldn't waste your time. ( )