I selected this off a list of books published in my birth year. I haven't read too much of Murdoch's work and I admit I had a hard time getting into this one. Technically, the heroine of sorts, is a young woman named Dora who is married to Paul, who is quite frankly, a jerk. Dora is not a particularly likable person either. Most of the action takes place at a religious lay community known as Imber Court. There is quite a mixture of people living at the estate, some there for religious reasons while others have a different purpose. There is also an abbey on the property and one of the characters is planning to become a nun there. The bell of the title refers to both the new bell that has been ordered for the abbey and the old bell of legend that sunk in the lake and was never recovered. Both bells play a part in the story. There are various conflicts going on, besides the battles between Dora and Paul. The other main conflict involves Michael's feelings about his sexuality. The book is quite outdated in its treatment of homosexuality and the role of women in society. I was underwhelmed by the entire novel.
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