From AwardAnnals
| Book: | The Black Prince |
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| Author: | Iris Murdoch |
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| Publisher: | Penguin Classics |
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Bradley Pearson, author of three critically acclaimed but unsuccessful novels, has finally left his dull job as an Inspector of Taxes, but predatory friends and relations dash his hopes of a peaceful retirement. He is tormented by his melancholic sister, who has decided to come live with him; his ex-wife, who has infuriating hopes of redeeming their past; and his friend and rival, Arnold Baffin, a deplorably successful author of commercial fiction. The action includes marital cross-purposes, seduction, suicide, abduction, romantic idylls, murder, and due process of law. Bradley tries to escape from it all but fails, leading to a violent climax and altered perspectives.
