"There would be no need to complain of literary biographies...if they were all as good as Conradi's."—John Updike, The New Yorker Iris: A Life of Iris Murdoch is already regarded as the standard, authorized biography of one of the most important female novelists and thinkers of the twentieth century. Three years after her death, Iris Murdoch has begun to fascinate a whole new generation of readers, and a movie about her life was released in early 2002. In this critically acclaimed biography, Peter Conradi assesses the intellectual and cultural legacy of a remarkable woman "at the center of our culture" (A. S. Byatt). Published in hardcover as Iris Murdoch: A Life . "Conradi's infectious fascination with Murdoch and stirring insights into her work make this a superb cornerstone biography. ( Booklist starred review) "A marvel of sympathy and intelligence."— Washington Post "Murdoch herself comes alive in all her contradictions."— Commonweal "A groundbreaking volume to which future biographers of Murdoch will be deeply indebted."— Choice 32 pages of b/w photographs