Iris Murdoch, la hija de las palabras

The expression "the brightest woman in England" has become a cliché for Iris Murdoch. The label circulates successfully in the press, the publishing market and cultural institutions, becoming a commonplace that is never attributed to a specific author, work or media. As a commercial claim it is unbeatable: a striking formula ... and empty. Murdoch lived in London since she was just a few months old, but she always defined herself as Irish or Anglo-Irish. She was a member of the Communist Party when she was young and ended up declaring herself an admirer of Margaret Thatcher's policies. She had a hectic love and sexual life and enjoyed a long and solid marriage. She studied analytical philosophy at the height of its growth and was dazzled by Sartrean existentialism. She was a tutor at Oxford for more than fourteen years and left her position to dedicate herself to writing popular novels. Approaching the figure of Iris Murdoch requires leaving behind stereotypes and commonplaces to admire in its true essence the legacy of an author who moves away from any simple categorization both personally and intellectually.