We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(8) Snow Line
We won't lie to you, Shmoopers: The Black Prince ain't easy.
For one thing, Iris Murdoch's writing style is dense and intellectual, and you may find yourself having to read some paragraphs two or three times just to figure out what Bradley Pearson—the novel's primary narrator—is getting at. For another, it's impossible to know whether or not Bradley Pearson is actually telling us the truth about any of the events he describes. Unreliable narrators can make for some complicated reading, and this one's no exception.
But fear not, folks: The Black Prince is a pretty deep book, and it can even be downright funny at times. Iris Murdoch has done her best to create a novel that's as complex, twisted, and captivating as a Rubik's cube. If you're anything like us, you may not be able to "solve" this puzzle of a book by lining up all of its various lies, truths, symbols, allusions, and intertextual references, but your brain will feel awesome if you take on the challenge.