The plot revolves around the marital problems of father and son, Hugh and Randall Peronett. Both are faced with an identical situation at different points in time. They both have to decide whether or not they should leave their dull wives for their more exciting and attractive mistresses. While father, Hugh, made the decision to stay with his wife, some twenty-five years before the events of the novel, the son, Randall, leaves his wife for his mistress, inflicting heavy damage on his 14 year old daughter, and breaks up his family.

Basically, men having a midlife crisis and thinking that the grass is greener. And it aint! Randall’s lover (hardly a spoiler) is only in it for the money (from the sale of his dad’ Tintoretto), Randall’s only in it to bang her. Not really the road to happiness. And Ann, Randall’s wife, is coveted by half the neighbourhood, so she can’t have been that boring.
I know it is supposedly about Murdochs Platonic view of the soul, but all in all it’s a strange and rather boring book. The usual ill assorted group of acquantances, an evil child, lots of love lost. Made me want to shout “Get on with it!”.
Read Under the net instead, is what I’d say!

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