The Unicorn

London: Chatto and Windus, 1963. First edition. Cloth. Very Good/Very Good. 8" by 5.5". Not Stated. A very smart, first edition copy of this Gothic novel by Irish Murdoch, enclosed in the original pictorial dust wrapper. This is Iris Murdoch's seventh novel.In the original unclipped dust wrapper. The 'Unicorn' is set in the west coast of Ireland. It follows the young governess, Marian Taylor, as she takes residence in the isolated country house, Gaze Castle. Its setting and plot are characteristic of Gothic fiction. Thematically, the work focuses on religion and philosophy. Much of Murdoch's works focus on philosophy, and in this work that is conveyed by the Platonist philosopher Max Lejour in conversations with his former student.The first edition of this work. Iris Murdoch was a British novelist and philosopher, born in Ireland. Primarily her novels focus on themes of morality, spirituality and sexuality. A prominent philosopher, she is now increasingly accredited for her work in the field of philosophy, most notably her work on the reinterpretation of Aristotle and Plato, as well as her discussions of moral philosophy. In her lifetime Murdoch wrote 26 novels, as well of a series of short stories and several philosophical papers. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Externally, lovely, with just a very small amount of bumping to the head and tail of the spine. Original pictorial dust wrapper is smart, with some light chipping to the extremities, and a small closed tear to the front crease of the front flap. A few marks to the interior of the flaps, evidence of prior amateur tape repairs. Internally, firmly bound. Front free-endpaper has been amateurly removed. Pages are bright and clean. Very Good