Under The Net

‘This is real life, Jake,’ she said. ‘You’d better wake up.’

Jake is clever and lazy and scraping a living as a hack translator. Jake loves Anna. Anna is an elusive and lovely singer. Anna loves Hugo. Hugo is a fireworks manufacturer turned movie producer and majestic philosopher. Hugo loves Sadie. Sadie is a glossy and dazzling film starlet. Of course, Sadie loves Jake. Then there's Marvellous Mister Mars, the famous hound, who might or might not be Jake's ticket up and out of this mess.

Funny, subversive, curious, fearless and fiercely intelligent, Iris Murdoch is one of the great writers of the 20th century. To celebrate her centenary Vintage Classics present a selection of some of her best and most engaging novels.