An Accidental Man

Dust jacket notes: "Ludwig, a young American in London, drafted for a war he condemns, engaged to a girl he adores, presented with the job of his dreams, wrestles desperately with his conscience. Ought he to be happy or martyred? Is he a scholar or a protester? Is love a solution or a problem? Matthew, elderly diplomat and collector of rare porcelain, comes home to difficulties too. Can he at last persuade his younger brother to stop poisoning both their llives with murderous hatred? Or is Matthew's kindness just a new excercise of power? Can Matthew and Ludwig help each other? Can they even understand each other? There are plenty of charming women who want to help everybody. This is a tale of fatal good intentions, of comic-tragic muddle, and of the long, obscure, fallible struggle of conscientious men. It is also the story of how to live and be blessed by egoism alone. It is Iris Murdoch's longest and most brilliant novel, very serious, very funny."