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Iris Murdoch

Iris Murdoch Quotes

Author

Iris Murdoch was an Irish-Canadian philosopher and author, born on July 15, 1919, in Dublin, Ireland, and passed away on February 8, 1999. She is celebrated for her philosophical novels that intertwine moral and ethical dilemmas with complex narratives. Murdoch's work has left a lasting impact on the literary world, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century.

Famous Iris Murdoch Quotes

“Perhaps that was the only time which we should ever, ever have together. Perhaps it was something which would never, never, never come again.”

Sad Separation Iris Murdoch The Black Prince Never Again Come And Gone Lost Chance Once Only

Book:The Black Prince

Source: The Black Prince

“Ludens thought, why can't I do that, why can't I just ask a woman to hold my hand, why can't I ask Franca to!”

Sad Iris Murdoch Unspoken Holding Hands The Message To The Planet Timid

Book:The Message To The Planet

Source: The Message To The Planet

“Ludens felt again that special curious anguish caused by glimpses of a happiness he would have felt if only things were different — which could be different, perhaps could easily be different — but somehow maddeningly were not.”

Happiness Sad Iris Murdoch Elusive Unattainable The Message To The Planet If Only

Book:The Message To The Planet

Source: The Message To The Planet

“. . . the superiority of some infinite reserve and the mystery of some infinite sadness.”

Mystery Sad Description Iris Murdoch Reserved The Message To The Planet Characterization

Book:The Message To The Planet

Source: The Message To The Planet

“And so my life has become tiny and mean and incomplete and I must begin it again without comfort and without magic.”

Life Magic Sad Unhappy Iris Murdoch Henry And Cato Diminished Comfortless

Book:Henry and Cato

Source: Henry and Cato

“He wished he was not always young again in his dreams, it made waking up so sad.”

Young Dreams Sad Iris Murdoch Henry And Cato

Book:Henry and Cato

Source: Henry and Cato

“The new world, he thought, the new life, and how sad it is. I suppose I should be congratulating myself, it may even be that later I shall look back on this as heaven.”

Perspective Sad New World Iris Murdoch New Life Hindsight Henry And Cato

Book:Henry and Cato

Source: Henry and Cato

“And she looked at her life and seemed to understand it and to grieve over it as if it were already over.”

Life Understanding Sad Iris Murdoch Resigned Self Evaluation Henry And Cato

Book:Henry and Cato

Source: Henry and Cato

“That love all belonged to the elapsed moment.”

Love Sad Iris Murdoch The Past Henry And Cato

Book:Henry and Cato

Source: Henry and Cato

“We did really love each other . . . didn't we? Didn't we? In the name of that reality — M.”

Love Reality Sad Breakup Iris Murdoch Letter A Severed Head Epistolary

Book:A Severed Head

Source: A Severed Head

“Yet the love is there, the love is there — only it's as if it's so wounded it has curled up and gone into a black hole.”

Love Sad Iris Murdoch Wounded The Green Knight

Book:The Green Knight

Source: The Green Knight

“The presence of so many things which ought to have delighted her and been her friends brought home to Moy how little delight she could now feel and how alienated she now was from all the beings to which she had once felt so close.”

Sad Depression Unhappy Isolated Iris Murdoch The Green Knight Alienated

Book:The Green Knight

Source: The Green Knight

“She dreamt she saw the Polish Rider passing slowly by and he was weeping and she called out to him, but he turned his head away. She dreamt that she was drowning in the pool of tears.”

Dreams Sad Iris Murdoch Crying The Green Knight Allusion Rembrandt The Polish Rider

Book:The Green Knight

Source: The Green Knight

“I've felt so sad for years about you. My love for you has always had a sad face.”

Love Sad Iris Murdoch The Sea The Sea Doomed Love Doomed Romance

Book:The Sea, The Sea

Source: The Sea, The Sea

“There is a deep foundation of my being which knows not of time and change and is still and ever with Hartley, in that good place where we once were.”

Time Change Sad Memory Iris Murdoch The Past The Sea The Sea

Book:The Sea, The Sea

Source: The Sea, The Sea

“Never swim in a rough sea, dear boy, this sea's a killer. But the past refused to come back, as it did in dreams, to be remade. Titus walked in my dreams in the brightness of his youth, which was now made eternal. Or else I dreamed that he was dead and felt joy on waking.”

Death Dreams Sea Sad Iris Murdoch The Past Irrevocable The Sea The Sea Redo

Book:The Sea, The Sea

Source: The Sea, The Sea

“I'm afraid I don't know their address, but there it is, when people are gone they're gone, isn't it.”

Gone Sad Irrevocable The Sea The Sea Vanished Gone Without A Trace Irish Murdoch

Book:The Sea, The Sea

Source: The Sea, The Sea

“God, how the young and beautiful vanish and are no more seen.”

Beauty Youth Sad Iris Murdoch The Sea The Sea Young And Beautiful Vanish

Book:The Sea, The Sea

Source: The Sea, The Sea

“It had occurred, it had happened, and could never in his life be unhappened, never removed, a huge deadly black scar lasting forever.”

Sad Scar Iris Murdoch The Green Knight Irrevocable Life Altering Point Of No Return

Book:The Green Knight

Source: The Green Knight

“We shall meet, but as strangers. It is the end of an era. A whole part of my life is torn away.”

Sad Separation Breakup Iris Murdoch Parting Strangers The Green Knight The End Of An Era

Book:The Green Knight

Source: The Green Knight

“Don't be hurt by me." "I can't help being hurt —”

Hurt Relationship Sad Dialogue Inevitable Iris Murdoch The Nice And The Good Can T Be Helped Can T Help It

Book:The Nice and the Good

Source: The Nice and the Good

“But her heart was hurting her with its violence.”

Heart Hurt Violence Sad Heartbreak Heartache Iris Murdoch The Nice And The Good Inner Turmoil

Book:The Nice and the Good

Source: The Nice and the Good

About the Author

Born: July 15, 1919
Died: February 8, 1999
Known for: Author
Quotes: 941

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

The Black PrinceRelated source material

The Message To The PlanetRelated source material

The Green KnightRelated source material

The Nice and the GoodRelated source material

The Sea, The SeaRelated source material

The Sacred and Profane Love MachineRelated source material

A Severed HeadRelated source material

Henry and CatoRelated source material

The UnicornRelated source material

A Fairly Honourable DefeatRelated source material

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