Iris Murdoch writes well. She digs into the human soul and creates striking characters. This novel “Time of the Angels” focuses on a rector who lost his belief and question the good and the bad, to believe, not to believe and wishing to believe, morality and immorality as well as his complicated relationships with other people and incest theme. His discussions on morality and God with his brother Marcus are the significant parts of the book. Carel draws attention to the irrelevance between believing God and doing good in life and makes you think on and on. He is so manipulative on the other hand, he makes all the relationships more complicated.
We read the novel from the points of view of Carel’s brother Marcus, Carel’s daughter Muriel, his servant Patti and Russian emigre Peshkov. My favorite parts are the ones focusing Muriel and Patti. Peshkov’s deceitful son Leo and his actions remind me the saying, “Not knowing to do bad and not wanting to do it are two different things.” Patti and Peshkov are also the symbols of alienation in a foreign country.
Climax of the events in this striking novel is another point of discussion. You still feel the ambiguity and you may think what if some events were told in Elizabeth’s point of view, the beautiful invalid and mysterious sister of Muriel. The uncanny behind the untold and unseen is told so skilfully by Iris Murdoch, Time of the Angels becomes my second favorite novel from the writer. (My number one is Black Prince.)
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