Under the NetUnder the Net
Score Classic
What it's about
Jake Donaghue is a broke, charming, lazy writer and translator in London who gets thrown out of his lodgings and has nowhere to go. In his attempts to find a place, he gets tangled up with an old girlfriend and her film-star sister, an old friend whose ideas he once stole, a movie studio, a kidnapped film-star dog and a series of comic disasters.
Why it's worth reading
It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels. It was Iris Murdoch's first novel, a funny, philosophical romp.
You'll love it if you liked
The Sea, the Sea
A Confederacy of Dunces
Lucky JimGood to know
It's light and episodic, with philosophical ideas under the comedy.
By the numbers
- Readers9 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #232 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #555 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1932 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Iris Murdoch
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Under the Net worth reading?
Yes. It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels. It ranks #1,932 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Under the Net about?
Jake Donaghue is a broke, charming, lazy writer and translator in London who gets thrown out of his lodgings and has nowhere to go. In his attempts to find a place, he gets tangled up with an old girlfriend and her film-star sister, an old friend whose ideas he once stole, a movie studio, a kidnapped film-star dog and a series of comic disasters.
How long does it take to read Under the Net?
About 6 hours (246 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Under the Net?
If you liked it, try The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole or Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis.