Literary Fiction · LightJake Donaghue, a homeless and broke writer, looks up old acquaintances and is led into a series of comic adventures
Under the Net
by Iris Murdoch
A broke writer searches for a former friend he once betrayed
Jake Donaghue is a struggling writer and translator who is homeless and short of money, so he looks up old acquaintances to improve his situation. His search for Hugo Belfounder, a philosopher and fireworks manufacturer and a former friend he once betrayed, leads him into a series of comic adventures. Other characters include his distant cousin Finn, the sisters Anna and Sadie Quentin and the film-star Alsatian Mr Mars. The story is set in London, with a trip to Paris. Chatto & Windus published it in 1954.
More about this book
Who
Jake Donaghue, Finn, Hugo Belfounder, Anna and Sadie Quentin, Sammy Starfield and Dave Gellman.
World
London, with a trip to Paris that includes Bastille Day.
What makes it different
The novel is dedicated to Raymond Queneau, and its title alludes to an image in Wittgenstein's Tractatus.
Feel
Funny and quick-moving.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- Under the NetWikipedia