What is the author's tone in The Book and the Brotherhood by Iris Murdoch?

There is a tone of death and redemption in the book. The novel is a narrative told in the third person, and it involves the differing perspectives of both major and minor characters. The novel is so full of detail that it is difficult at times to understand the individual viewpoint of each character. The characters have secret inner lives, which are not necessarily connected to the external events in the novel. Some thoughts have no influence at all on the plotline, while others are central to the unfolding of the novel. However, this development often occurs in such a manner that no one can imagine the outcome. Thus, the perspective of the characters appears to change without rational warrant.