How Long to Read Iris and the Friends

How Long Does it Take to Read Iris and the Friends?

It takes the average reader 3 hours and 34 minutes to read Iris and the Friends by John Bayley

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

Novelist and thinker Iris Murdoch died on 8 February 1999 after living for three years with Alzheimer's disease. Her husband, novelist and academic John Bayley, had previously written movingly of the impact of her illness in Iris: A Memoir. Iris and the Friends tells of the final year of Murdoch's life, when she was visited more by her own imaginary "friends" than by the exigencies of real life. It brings the story through Bayley's increasingly precarious hold on present reality, to his own breakdown, Murdoch's final happy weeks in a home for the terminally ill and finally her quiet death. Although ostensibly a sequel, it is more an exploration of Bayley's new friends: the memories that were sparked off precisely as Murdoch lost her own--of his childhood, army years, first loves and, of course, their marriage. But there are other "friends". At one point Bayley writes: "The old Eng. Lit. again. I taught it for nearly fifty years and feel detached from it now." Yet literature emerges here as the one remaining constant in his life. Scarcely two pages go by without a reference, almost involuntary, to Hardy, Coleridge, Austen, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Thurber, James, Lawrence, Woolf or Murdoch. Sometimes Iris appears to respond to the shared literary in-jokes, but more often the pair become "two animals pushing together, nudging and grooming each other, grunting together as they bask in a mutual doze."

How long is Iris and the Friends?

Iris and the Friends by John Bayley is 208 pages long, and a total of 53,664 words.

This makes it 70% the length of the average book. It also has 66% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Iris and the Friends Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 4 hours and 53 minutes to read Iris and the Friends aloud.

What Reading Level is Iris and the Friends?

Iris and the Friends is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Iris and the Friends?

Iris and the Friends by John Bayley is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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