A great pager turner but unltimately unbelievable, 03 Oct 2008
I couldn't put this book down as I journeyed from one plot twist to the next, wondering where it was going and what the mystery was all about. However, when all was revealed - what a disappointment. There was no really mystery just a rather silly and unbelievable charade. What was the point of it all? Does the author really believe the reader is likely to be convinced by this? A whole gang of people trying to administer a moral lesson to someone they've never met before, involving what must be wild expenditure and about 6 months of time! Totally ridiculous. However, the shear suspense and the writing in many ways mitigate what is a deeply ridiculous and unconvincing plot. The changes in modes of behaviour since the book was written in the 60's means it has not aged well either.

Strange but enjoyable, 30 Jun 2008
Definitely one of the stranger books I have read. You are left in the dark all the way through and still guessing at the end. I am not one for too much detail in stories so that is my main criticism- it was too much for me. On the otherhand the latter might be just what they like. It was a weird storyline, and several times I started to think I was losing the plot when reading it, which is great because that is exactly how the main character feels. The ending leaves your imagination to decide where the story goes. It is a long story and struggle to get through it but worth reading it from start to finish.

exellently written nonsense, 12 Apr 2008
Maybe I am too old for The Magus. I agree it is a book for adolescents. But I felt cheated by how much time it took me to read it. I gave it an extra star because the writing is so accomplished and fluid. Truly expert. You never see Fowles break a sweat in terms of conveying what he wants to say in the simplest, most poetic terms. But what is he saying? The story is overblown nonsense. Still, if I were 16, I might have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A good mystery which is never solved - very unsatisfying, 09 Jan 2008
I was warned by my girlfriend that The Magus was hard going - she gave up about half way through, which is most unlike her - and that she'd seen a lot of negative reviews of the book. I'm glad I persisted: I found the "trust no-one" double-dealing mystery very gripping, rather similar to the genre that Robert Goddard does so much better.

But the ending was very underwhelming. I'm still none the wiser as to why Conchis was playing his psychological games with a succession of teachers at the school. What was his motivation? I hoped that by the end of the book I'd be put out of my misery. But it was not to be. Several days of reading with no pay-off at the end. What a waste.

And all the characters (Urfe, Conchis, June, Julie, Alison) were odious - there wasn't much that endeared you to them. If you are to follow the exploits and experiences of a hero, you need to have some empathy for him.

A 650 page shaggy dog story., 31 Dec 2007
Like FLW (Fowles' next book) The Magus is well written, compulsive even. However, all the characters are woefully lacking in the qualities needed for the reader to develop any sympathy with them. Conchis, Alison, Nicholas himself, the two, er, 'young ladies': all fairly loathsome. I struggled through to the end, looking for some redemption, some sign that someone in this book had learned something, grown. In vain. Nicholas doesn't even have the decency to warn the poor chap who follows in his footsteps. He's an unpleasant piece of work. They are all unpleasant.

Beggars belief that Nicholas could be so stupid, too: fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times - on and on and on. I wanted to shout 'Wake up, idiot! You're on a wild goose chase!' The book ends as it starts, with the characters and the reader none the wiser, and a day or two's reading time wasted. Yes, truly wasted.

FLW is the better book: shorter too if you don't like you're agony long-winded. Ultimately, though, they're both about female/male manipulation and really not my cup of tea.

A great pager turner but unltimately unbelievable, 03 Oct 2008
I couldn't put this book down as I journeyed from one plot twist to the next, wondering where it was going and what the mystery was all about. However, when all was revealed - what a disappointment. There was no really mystery just a rather silly and unbelievable charade. What was the point of it all? Does the author really believe the reader is likely to be convinced by this? A whole gang of people trying to administer a moral lesson to someone they've never met before, involving what must be wild expenditure and about 6 months of time! Totally ridiculous. However, the shear suspense and the writing in many ways mitigate what is a deeply ridiculous and unconvincing plot. The changes in modes of behaviour since the book was written in the 60's means it has not aged well either.

Strange but enjoyable, 30 Jun 2008
Definitely one of the stranger books I have read. You are left in the dark all the way through and still guessing at the end. I am not one for too much detail in stories so that is my main criticism- it was too much for me. On the otherhand the latter might be just what they like. It was a weird storyline, and several times I started to think I was losing the plot when reading it, which is great because that is exactly how the main character feels. The ending leaves your imagination to decide where the story goes. It is a long story and struggle to get through it but worth reading it from start to finish.

exellently written nonsense, 12 Apr 2008
Maybe I am too old for The Magus. I agree it is a book for adolescents. But I felt cheated by how much time it took me to read it. I gave it an extra star because the writing is so accomplished and fluid. Truly expert. You never see Fowles break a sweat in terms of conveying what he wants to say in the simplest, most poetic terms. But what is he saying? The story is overblown nonsense. Still, if I were 16, I might have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A good mystery which is never solved - very unsatisfying, 09 Jan 2008
I was warned by my girlfriend that The Magus was hard going - she gave up about half way through, which is most unlike her - and that she'd seen a lot of negative reviews of the book. I'm glad I persisted: I found the "trust no-one" double-dealing mystery very gripping, rather similar to the genre that Robert Goddard does so much better.

But the ending was very underwhelming. I'm still none the wiser as to why Conchis was playing his psychological games with a succession of teachers at the school. What was his motivation? I hoped that by the end of the book I'd be put out of my misery. But it was not to be. Several days of reading with no pay-off at the end. What a waste.

And all the characters (Urfe, Conchis, June, Julie, Alison) were odious - there wasn't much that endeared you to them. If you are to follow the exploits and experiences of a hero, you need to have some empathy for him.

A 650 page shaggy dog story., 31 Dec 2007
Like FLW (Fowles' next book) The Magus is well written, compulsive even. However, all the characters are woefully lacking in the qualities needed for the reader to develop any sympathy with them. Conchis, Alison, Nicholas himself, the two, er, 'young ladies': all fairly loathsome. I struggled through to the end, looking for some redemption, some sign that someone in this book had learned something, grown. In vain. Nicholas doesn't even have the decency to warn the poor chap who follows in his footsteps. He's an unpleasant piece of work. They are all unpleasant.

Beggars belief that Nicholas could be so stupid, too: fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times - on and on and on. I wanted to shout 'Wake up, idiot! You're on a wild goose chase!' The book ends as it starts, with the characters and the reader none the wiser, and a day or two's reading time wasted. Yes, truly wasted.

FLW is the better book: shorter too if you don't like you're agony long-winded. Ultimately, though, they're both about female/male manipulation and really not my cup of tea.

A good book but..., 01 Oct 2008
We got this book to read in our english lesson (we are top set) and the first bit was ok, it was well written, sad but beuatiful but maybe a bit too long in places. The second bit is from her point of view and in diary form, and although i have not finished it I am finding it really boring, it was a good idea but she is writing way too much, i am finding it hard to keep going with it. So, personally it is not my sort of book, i prefer a good fantasy/action/adventure but for other people it may be a book of their dreams, certinally some my friends really liked it. (the ones who finished it)

My all time best read, 27 Sep 2008
It is my own stupidity that i didnt read this book for so long simply b/c is was written decades ago. Judged it by its cover so-to-speak.
Awesome. Emotionally sucks you in, and doesnt let go until the end which not only is a twist and a shocker, it leaves you stunned. I thought about this book for days after i had read it. It contains no swearing, no sex (although there are sexual themes in it), no real violence, but is one of the creepiest books ive ever read. Magestic writing all the way through, and i was in a constant struggle much like Miranda (central character) whether to hate or pity the main character.
You must read this books, it is a classic and i loved it from start to finish.

Don't collect this, 12 Aug 2008
Not as appalling as the low rating suggests. This is a competent enough book despite its flaws. That it is considered to be so good probably tells us more about the times in which it was written than any long-distance power. Perhaps it seemed more radical then to include a protagonist who was both vaguely 'normal' and an exploitative bastard seriously low on empathy. But the symmetry between kidnapper and butterfly collector does not bear out its superficial promise. The dual narrative fails to convince and makes the whole work a little over-long. The style itself is pedestrian, which makes this quick to read but ultimately forgettable.

The Collector, 07 Aug 2008
What a stunning book! I'd heard about 15 minutes of it on the radio so I bought it.....devoured it in a couple of days and then my daughter (aged 14) wanted to read it too......we both still think of it as one of our favourite books. It's so......sinister.....fascinating.....unnerving.....brilliant.

Almost Perfect, 19 Mar 2008
This book is so well-written, especially given that the author writes the thoughts of both a male and a female; very tricky to do, and few can pull it off this well. The use of free direct thought and indirect speech is very clever; it strongly alters the way you think and the way you view the characters, to make the whole process of reading the story very...emotionally difficult, almost.
The ending is perfect in that we are still asking questions and wanting a little bit more...and those questions are what keep you thinking about the book long after you've finished reading it. A book which leaves no open endings is one that you will accept, forget, and move on from. The Collector is certainly not one of those.

The reason is gets 4 stars and not 5 is because I gave The Time Traveler's Wife 5 stars and although startlingly good, this book doesn't meet up to my TTW standards. (But then, NO book does. If I could give TTW 6 stars then The Collector would get 5). Overall: a brilliant buy. Recommended to everyone.

A great pager turner but unltimately unbelievable, 03 Oct 2008
I couldn't put this book down as I journeyed from one plot twist to the next, wondering where it was going and what the mystery was all about. However, when all was revealed - what a disappointment. There was no really mystery just a rather silly and unbelievable charade. What was the point of it all? Does the author really believe the reader is likely to be convinced by this? A whole gang of people trying to administer a moral lesson to someone they've never met before, involving what must be wild expenditure and about 6 months of time! Totally ridiculous. However, the shear suspense and the writing in many ways mitigate what is a deeply ridiculous and unconvincing plot. The changes in modes of behaviour since the book was written in the 60's means it has not aged well either.

Strange but enjoyable, 30 Jun 2008
Definitely one of the stranger books I have read. You are left in the dark all the way through and still guessing at the end. I am not one for too much detail in stories so that is my main criticism- it was too much for me. On the otherhand the latter might be just what they like. It was a weird storyline, and several times I started to think I was losing the plot when reading it, which is great because that is exactly how the main character feels. The ending leaves your imagination to decide where the story goes. It is a long story and struggle to get through it but worth reading it from start to finish.

exellently written nonsense, 12 Apr 2008
Maybe I am too old for The Magus. I agree it is a book for adolescents. But I felt cheated by how much time it took me to read it. I gave it an extra star because the writing is so accomplished and fluid. Truly expert. You never see Fowles break a sweat in terms of conveying what he wants to say in the simplest, most poetic terms. But what is he saying? The story is overblown nonsense. Still, if I were 16, I might have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A good mystery which is never solved - very unsatisfying, 09 Jan 2008
I was warned by my girlfriend that The Magus was hard going - she gave up about half way through, which is most unlike her - and that she'd seen a lot of negative reviews of the book. I'm glad I persisted: I found the "trust no-one" double-dealing mystery very gripping, rather similar to the genre that Robert Goddard does so much better.

But the ending was very underwhelming. I'm still none the wiser as to why Conchis was playing his psychological games with a succession of teachers at the school. What was his motivation? I hoped that by the end of the book I'd be put out of my misery. But it was not to be. Several days of reading with no pay-off at the end. What a waste.

And all the characters (Urfe, Conchis, June, Julie, Alison) were odious - there wasn't much that endeared you to them. If you are to follow the exploits and experiences of a hero, you need to have some empathy for him.

A 650 page shaggy dog story., 31 Dec 2007
Like FLW (Fowles' next book) The Magus is well written, compulsive even. However, all the characters are woefully lacking in the qualities needed for the reader to develop any sympathy with them. Conchis, Alison, Nicholas himself, the two, er, 'young ladies': all fairly loathsome. I struggled through to the end, looking for some redemption, some sign that someone in this book had learned something, grown. In vain. Nicholas doesn't even have the decency to warn the poor chap who follows in his footsteps. He's an unpleasant piece of work. They are all unpleasant.

Beggars belief that Nicholas could be so stupid, too: fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times - on and on and on. I wanted to shout 'Wake up, idiot! You're on a wild goose chase!' The book ends as it starts, with the characters and the reader none the wiser, and a day or two's reading time wasted. Yes, truly wasted.

FLW is the better book: shorter too if you don't like you're agony long-winded. Ultimately, though, they're both about female/male manipulation and really not my cup of tea.

A good book but..., 01 Oct 2008
We got this book to read in our english lesson (we are top set) and the first bit was ok, it was well written, sad but beuatiful but maybe a bit too long in places. The second bit is from her point of view and in diary form, and although i have not finished it I am finding it really boring, it was a good idea but she is writing way too much, i am finding it hard to keep going with it. So, personally it is not my sort of book, i prefer a good fantasy/action/adventure but for other people it may be a book of their dreams, certinally some my friends really liked it. (the ones who finished it)

My all time best read, 27 Sep 2008
It is my own stupidity that i didnt read this book for so long simply b/c is was written decades ago. Judged it by its cover so-to-speak.
Awesome. Emotionally sucks you in, and doesnt let go until the end which not only is a twist and a shocker, it leaves you stunned. I thought about this book for days after i had read it. It contains no swearing, no sex (although there are sexual themes in it), no real violence, but is one of the creepiest books ive ever read. Magestic writing all the way through, and i was in a constant struggle much like Miranda (central character) whether to hate or pity the main character.
You must read this books, it is a classic and i loved it from start to finish.

Don't collect this, 12 Aug 2008
Not as appalling as the low rating suggests. This is a competent enough book despite its flaws. That it is considered to be so good probably tells us more about the times in which it was written than any long-distance power. Perhaps it seemed more radical then to include a protagonist who was both vaguely 'normal' and an exploitative bastard seriously low on empathy. But the symmetry between kidnapper and butterfly collector does not bear out its superficial promise. The dual narrative fails to convince and makes the whole work a little over-long. The style itself is pedestrian, which makes this quick to read but ultimately forgettable.

The Collector, 07 Aug 2008
What a stunning book! I'd heard about 15 minutes of it on the radio so I bought it.....devoured it in a couple of days and then my daughter (aged 14) wanted to read it too......we both still think of it as one of our favourite books. It's so......sinister.....fascinating.....unnerving.....brilliant.

Almost Perfect, 19 Mar 2008
This book is so well-written, especially given that the author writes the thoughts of both a male and a female; very tricky to do, and few can pull it off this well. The use of free direct thought and indirect speech is very clever; it strongly alters the way you think and the way you view the characters, to make the whole process of reading the story very...emotionally difficult, almost.
The ending is perfect in that we are still asking questions and wanting a little bit more...and those questions are what keep you thinking about the book long after you've finished reading it. A book which leaves no open endings is one that you will accept, forget, and move on from. The Collector is certainly not one of those.

The reason is gets 4 stars and not 5 is because I gave The Time Traveler's Wife 5 stars and although startlingly good, this book doesn't meet up to my TTW standards. (But then, NO book does. If I could give TTW 6 stars then The Collector would get 5). Overall: a brilliant buy. Recommended to everyone.

a difficult book to become absorbed with, 26 Aug 2008
I couldn't establish if the author was actually the narrator. There is a point where the narrator describes himself and it matches the picture of the author hence my confusion. The novel is set in 1867 in Lyme Regis. If you are a reader of Victorian literature then you'll understand the social set ups and class systems but even though I have read novels of this time I still struggled with many aspects and this is down to the narrator.

I had many `arguments' with the narrator whilst I was reading as I didn't like some of the styles. The reader is presented with a narrator that is telling us a story as he is writing it but when he comes to a certain point where a character might do something he precedes to tell the reader he doesn't know what will happen as his character hasn't grown yet, or later on in the novel he'll say a character has developed and is making their own mind up about something. It was too contrived for me and made it easy to not have to fully develop the plot and characters.

Had I simply been reading a story about the characters of this novel written in the 1960s but set approximately 100 years earlier, it wouldn't have been anything different so credit to John Fowles for trying to write something more unusual than the norm. I knew nothing of the plot when I read it but I think most people know something of the story and I don't know if Sarah's crime was handled in the right way or not. However, I did become caught up in the other character's thoughts and opinions about Sarah, the French Lieutenant's Woman as well as her own absorption in her reputation. I think I'll read something else by him but only because it's part of a list of books I'm reading through.


A classical masterpiece, 27 Dec 2007
I was late coming to this novel. I have heard of the film but never seen it and foolishly thought the book would be some OTT Mills and Boon-type love story. In fact it is a gripping page turner, at times so witty I laughed out loud and at others so dramatic I couldn't put it down. Fowles has such a deep understanding of what it takes to be a novelist that he can subvert the usual roles of character and reader and allows us to join forces with the narrator as we watch the drama unfold. A hugely passsionate and brilliantly well-written novel. I know I can't now see the film as it would never measure up.

Still fresh and intriguing, 18 Dec 2007
As fresh and intriguing as on my first reading of this book many years ago. The Victorian age is brilliantly portrayed from the genteel pretensions of Lyme to the rough and tumble of the seedier parts of London. The main characters are strongly portrayed. Would-be paleontologist Charles is from a comfortable upper class background but condescends happily to become engaged to Ernestina who is a pleasant but shallow daughter of a prosperous middle class draper. But into their lives comes Sarah, the enigmatic woman who is rumoured to have been "ruined" by a liaison with French seaman.

Fowles is particularly good on the class war and social mores of the time: The attitude of society to Sarah is shocking as is the off-hand way in which servants are treated. When Ernestina's father suggests that Charles join the drapery business he is truly aghast at the idea even though he has no career in mind.

Sarah remains ambiguous - we are left uncertain as to whether she is manipulative and self-absorbed or badly treated and depressed. Throughout the book she both irritates and evokes our sympathy.

The other central character is the writer himself. He playfully drops in and out of the writing, discussing the motives of the characters and suggesting three different endings. This works superbly. The French Lieutenant's Woman is a twentieth century classic.


A finely tuned twentieth century classic, 03 May 2007
This is by far the most finely crafted novel by John Fowles i have read. He generally enjoys long - but no less than erudite - passages of analysis and description, but this is the one that strikes a very good balance between craft and content. The novel begins as a traditional Victorian novel of manners, but it very soon becomes apparent that this method is (as the blurb on the back says) actually being mocked very artistically by the author. Classical realist descriptions are often interposed with references to the time the narrator is narrating from; 1969. The author never lets you fall into the trap usually set by an omniscient narrator, and reminds you of your position as a reader. This comes most starkly into focus when the narrator begins to 'converse' with the reader on what should happen with the various characters. The final, and very well crafted piece of metafiction comes when the author appears in the same train carriage as a character, and expresses his desire to have alternative endings. This is an appropriate contrast to the more clumsier proponents of metafiction, such as Paul Auster. The metafiction aside, he also manages to engage in meaningful social and political commentary, as well as providing a passionate and convincing love story.

In short, this is a novel that is not only a highly capable and complex piece of art, but one that is thoroughly readable as a modern British classic.

More than just a historical novel, 24 May 2006
Let me begin by admitting that it is some time since I read this book. I have seen the film, which contains a great deal of additional content - enjoyable though. I am astonished that no one else has reviewed the book.

The plot of the novel can be read on a website dedicated to the author, so I will not summarise it here. Suffice it to say that this is a historical novel set in the middle of the nineteenth century. The author writes with authority about the period, and engages with some of its most important issues. His prose is extremely vivid and makes you feel that you are present at the events he describes. The character of Sarah is intriguingly mysterious, but whereas in The Magus (a lesser work by the same author) the mystery does not give way to a convincing characterisation in every case, in this book the events are plausible. An additional pleasure, however, is the author's experiment with the whole concept of the novel. His ability to write sensually means that this is not the dry, cerebral exercise you might imagine, but fascinatingly playful.

A great pager turner but unltimately unbelievable, 03 Oct 2008
I couldn't put this book down as I journeyed from one plot twist to the next, wondering where it was going and what the mystery was all about. However, when all was revealed - what a disappointment. There was no really mystery just a rather silly and unbelievable charade. What was the point of it all? Does the author really believe the reader is likely to be convinced by this? A whole gang of people trying to administer a moral lesson to someone they've never met before, involving what must be wild expenditure and about 6 months of time! Totally ridiculous. However, the shear suspense and the writing in many ways mitigate what is a deeply ridiculous and unconvincing plot. The changes in modes of behaviour since the book was written in the 60's means it has not aged well either.

Strange but enjoyable, 30 Jun 2008
Definitely one of the stranger books I have read. You are left in the dark all the way through and still guessing at the end. I am not one for too much detail in stories so that is my main criticism- it was too much for me. On the otherhand the latter might be just what they like. It was a weird storyline, and several times I started to think I was losing the plot when reading it, which is great because that is exactly how the main character feels. The ending leaves your imagination to decide where the story goes. It is a long story and struggle to get through it but worth reading it from start to finish.

exellently written nonsense, 12 Apr 2008
Maybe I am too old for The Magus. I agree it is a book for adolescents. But I felt cheated by how much time it took me to read it. I gave it an extra star because the writing is so accomplished and fluid. Truly expert. You never see Fowles break a sweat in terms of conveying what he wants to say in the simplest, most poetic terms. But what is he saying? The story is overblown nonsense. Still, if I were 16, I might have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A good mystery which is never solved - very unsatisfying, 09 Jan 2008
I was warned by my girlfriend that The Magus was hard going - she gave up about half way through, which is most unlike her - and that she'd seen a lot of negative reviews of the book. I'm glad I persisted: I found the "trust no-one" double-dealing mystery very gripping, rather similar to the genre that Robert Goddard does so much better.

But the ending was very underwhelming. I'm still none the wiser as to why Conchis was playing his psychological games with a succession of teachers at the school. What was his motivation? I hoped that by the end of the book I'd be put out of my misery. But it was not to be. Several days of reading with no pay-off at the end. What a waste.

And all the characters (Urfe, Conchis, June, Julie, Alison) were odious - there wasn't much that endeared you to them. If you are to follow the exploits and experiences of a hero, you need to have some empathy for him.

A 650 page shaggy dog story., 31 Dec 2007
Like FLW (Fowles' next book) The Magus is well written, compulsive even. However, all the characters are woefully lacking in the qualities needed for the reader to develop any sympathy with them. Conchis, Alison, Nicholas himself, the two, er, 'young ladies': all fairly loathsome. I struggled through to the end, looking for some redemption, some sign that someone in this book had learned something, grown. In vain. Nicholas doesn't even have the decency to warn the poor chap who follows in his footsteps. He's an unpleasant piece of work. They are all unpleasant.

Beggars belief that Nicholas could be so stupid, too: fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times - on and on and on. I wanted to shout 'Wake up, idiot! You're on a wild goose chase!' The book ends as it starts, with the characters and the reader none the wiser, and a day or two's reading time wasted. Yes, truly wasted.

FLW is the better book: shorter too if you don't like you're agony long-winded. Ultimately, though, they're both about female/male manipulation and really not my cup of tea.

A good book but..., 01 Oct 2008
We got this book to read in our english lesson (we are top set) and the first bit was ok, it was well written, sad but beuatiful but maybe a bit too long in places. The second bit is from her point of view and in diary form, and although i have not finished it I am finding it really boring, it was a good idea but she is writing way too much, i am finding it hard to keep going with it. So, personally it is not my sort of book, i prefer a good fantasy/action/adventure but for other people it may be a book of their dreams, certinally some my friends really liked it. (the ones who finished it)

My all time best read, 27 Sep 2008
It is my own stupidity that i didnt read this book for so long simply b/c is was written decades ago. Judged it by its cover so-to-speak.
Awesome. Emotionally sucks you in, and doesnt let go until the end which not only is a twist and a shocker, it leaves you stunned. I thought about this book for days after i had read it. It contains no swearing, no sex (although there are sexual themes in it), no real violence, but is one of the creepiest books ive ever read. Magestic writing all the way through, and i was in a constant struggle much like Miranda (central character) whether to hate or pity the main character.
You must read this books, it is a classic and i loved it from start to finish.

Don't collect this, 12 Aug 2008
Not as appalling as the low rating suggests. This is a competent enough book despite its flaws. That it is considered to be so good probably tells us more about the times in which it was written than any long-distance power. Perhaps it seemed more radical then to include a protagonist who was both vaguely 'normal' and an exploitative bastard seriously low on empathy. But the symmetry between kidnapper and butterfly collector does not bear out its superficial promise. The dual narrative fails to convince and makes the whole work a little over-long. The style itself is pedestrian, which makes this quick to read but ultimately forgettable.

The Collector, 07 Aug 2008
What a stunning book! I'd heard about 15 minutes of it on the radio so I bought it.....devoured it in a couple of days and then my daughter (aged 14) wanted to read it too......we both still think of it as one of our favourite books. It's so......sinister.....fascinating.....unnerving.....brilliant.

Almost Perfect, 19 Mar 2008
This book is so well-written, especially given that the author writes the thoughts of both a male and a female; very tricky to do, and few can pull it off this well. The use of free direct thought and indirect speech is very clever; it strongly alters the way you think and the way you view the characters, to make the whole process of reading the story very...emotionally difficult, almost.
The ending is perfect in that we are still asking questions and wanting a little bit more...and those questions are what keep you thinking about the book long after you've finished reading it. A book which leaves no open endings is one that you will accept, forget, and move on from. The Collector is certainly not one of those.

The reason is gets 4 stars and not 5 is because I gave The Time Traveler's Wife 5 stars and although startlingly good, this book doesn't meet up to my TTW standards. (But then, NO book does. If I could give TTW 6 stars then The Collector would get 5). Overall: a brilliant buy. Recommended to everyone.

a difficult book to become absorbed with, 26 Aug 2008
I couldn't establish if the author was actually the narrator. There is a point where the narrator describes himself and it matches the picture of the author hence my confusion. The novel is set in 1867 in Lyme Regis. If you are a reader of Victorian literature then you'll understand the social set ups and class systems but even though I have read novels of this time I still struggled with many aspects and this is down to the narrator.

I had many `arguments' with the narrator whilst I was reading as I didn't like some of the styles. The reader is presented with a narrator that is telling us a story as he is writing it but when he comes to a certain point where a character might do something he precedes to tell the reader he doesn't know what will happen as his character hasn't grown yet, or later on in the novel he'll say a character has developed and is making their own mind up about something. It was too contrived for me and made it easy to not have to fully develop the plot and characters.

Had I simply been reading a story about the characters of this novel written in the 1960s but set approximately 100 years earlier, it wouldn't have been anything different so credit to John Fowles for trying to write something more unusual than the norm. I knew nothing of the plot when I read it but I think most people know something of the story and I don't know if Sarah's crime was handled in the right way or not. However, I did become caught up in the other character's thoughts and opinions about Sarah, the French Lieutenant's Woman as well as her own absorption in her reputation. I think I'll read something else by him but only because it's part of a list of books I'm reading through.


A classical masterpiece, 27 Dec 2007
I was late coming to this novel. I have heard of the film but never seen it and foolishly thought the book would be some OTT Mills and Boon-type love story. In fact it is a gripping page turner, at times so witty I laughed out loud and at others so dramatic I couldn't put it down. Fowles has such a deep understanding of what it takes to be a novelist that he can subvert the usual roles of character and reader and allows us to join forces with the narrator as we watch the drama unfold. A hugely passsionate and brilliantly well-written novel. I know I can't now see the film as it would never measure up.

Still fresh and intriguing, 18 Dec 2007
As fresh and intriguing as on my first reading of this book many years ago. The Victorian age is brilliantly portrayed from the genteel pretensions of Lyme to the rough and tumble of the seedier parts of London. The main characters are strongly portrayed. Would-be paleontologist Charles is from a comfortable upper class background but condescends happily to become engaged to Ernestina who is a pleasant but shallow daughter of a prosperous middle class draper. But into their lives comes Sarah, the enigmatic woman who is rumoured to have been "ruined" by a liaison with French seaman.

Fowles is particularly good on the class war and social mores of the time: The attitude of society to Sarah is shocking as is the off-hand way in which servants are treated. When Ernestina's father suggests that Charles join the drapery business he is truly aghast at the idea even though he has no career in mind.

Sarah remains ambiguous - we are left uncertain as to whether she is manipulative and self-absorbed or badly treated and depressed. Throughout the book she both irritates and evokes our sympathy.

The other central character is the writer himself. He playfully drops in and out of the writing, discussing the motives of the characters and suggesting three different endings. This works superbly. The French Lieutenant's Woman is a twentieth century classic.


A finely tuned twentieth century classic, 03 May 2007
This is by far the most finely crafted novel by John Fowles i have read. He generally enjoys long - but no less than erudite - passages of analysis and description, but this is the one that strikes a very good balance between craft and content. The novel begins as a traditional Victorian novel of manners, but it very soon becomes apparent that this method is (as the blurb on the back says) actually being mocked very artistically by the author. Classical realist descriptions are often interposed with references to the time the narrator is narrating from; 1969. The author never lets you fall into the trap usually set by an omniscient narrator, and reminds you of your position as a reader. This comes most starkly into focus when the narrator begins to 'converse' with the reader on what should happen with the various characters. The final, and very well crafted piece of metafiction comes when the author appears in the same train carriage as a character, and expresses his desire to have alternative endings. This is an appropriate contrast to the more clumsier proponents of metafiction, such as Paul Auster. The metafiction aside, he also manages to engage in meaningful social and political commentary, as well as providing a passionate and convincing love story.

In short, this is a novel that is not only a highly capable and complex piece of art, but one that is thoroughly readable as a modern British classic.

More than just a historical novel, 24 May 2006
Let me begin by admitting that it is some time since I read this book. I have seen the film, which contains a great deal of additional content - enjoyable though. I am astonished that no one else has reviewed the book.

The plot of the novel can be read on a website dedicated to the author, so I will not summarise it here. Suffice it to say that this is a historical novel set in the middle of the nineteenth century. The author writes with authority about the period, and engages with some of its most important issues. His prose is extremely vivid and makes you feel that you are present at the events he describes. The character of Sarah is intriguingly mysterious, but whereas in The Magus (a lesser work by the same author) the mystery does not give way to a convincing characterisation in every case, in this book the events are plausible. An additional pleasure, however, is the author's experiment with the whole concept of the novel. His ability to write sensually means that this is not the dry, cerebral exercise you might imagine, but fascinatingly playful.

Falling from the Ebony Tower..., 18 May 2006
The Enigma may well be the most famous story in this collection, but it would be unwise to overlook The Ebony Tower and, indeed, Eliduc, which should be read in connection with this. Aside from the strong scent of eroticism that permeates the story, this novella is mainly concerned with the nature of art, and the individual. Williams and Breasley are both artists who represent a different school of art, and a different historical and intellectual context. The action involves a conceptual clash of these ideas, set amongst the fecund and atavistic French forest. Parellels with the nature of art can be seen in the battles between body and mind (Williams and Anne), and representation and abstraction (Williams and Breasley). There are also a number of close parallels and implicit references to Eliduc, the following short story, but it is by no means a parody. With all of these elements based around a tight, measured prose, and an unchallenging structure, it makes for a highly engaging - and introspective read. One that makes you ask as many questions of yourself, as of art and the novel.

real stuff, lively and alive, 03 Aug 2005
Enigma is the most famous tale of this book, it is reported in a collection of modern short stories by Penguin Books, but you can't forget the dramatic feeling of the prisoner in the cottage, and the story that gives the name to the book, you will read it every time with great pleasure as it could be new and touching: a Picasso-minded painter casted away on an isolated Provence cottage, with two angels of the Eden for confort, able to make the subject of the tale mad wondering about his choices in life and his marriage. Great!

The book to bring with you on a desert island, 06 Apr 2001
The Enigma is the story that you could buy this book for. It has everything : mystery, crime and love and you have this uncanny feeling that the characters suddenly become so alive (or the reader so dangerously fictional) that they know who and where they really are (do you?).

John Marcus Fielding, MP, suddenly disappears and young detective Jennings is assigned and meets the missing person's almost daughter-in-law Isobel and - yes, there is romance, yet the story is the same. It is still the same issue. Enjoy it (but it might scare you). The other stories are treats, as well.

A great pager turner but unltimately unbelievable, 03 Oct 2008
I couldn't put this book down as I journeyed from one plot twist to the next, wondering where it was going and what the mystery was all about. However, when all was revealed - what a disappointment. There was no really mystery just a rather silly and unbelievable charade. What was the point of it all? Does the author really believe the reader is likely to be convinced by this? A whole gang of people trying to administer a moral lesson to someone they've never met before, involving what must be wild expenditure and about 6 months of time! Totally ridiculous. However, the shear suspense and the writing in many ways mitigate what is a deeply ridiculous and unconvincing plot. The changes in modes of behaviour since the book was written in the 60's means it has not aged well either.

Strange but enjoyable, 30 Jun 2008
Definitely one of the stranger books I have read. You are left in the dark all the way through and still guessing at the end. I am not one for too much detail in stories so that is my main criticism- it was too much for me. On the otherhand the latter might be just what they like. It was a weird storyline, and several times I started to think I was losing the plot when reading it, which is great because that is exactly how the main character feels. The ending leaves your imagination to decide where the story goes. It is a long story and struggle to get through it but worth reading it from start to finish.

exellently written nonsense, 12 Apr 2008
Maybe I am too old for The Magus. I agree it is a book for adolescents. But I felt cheated by how much time it took me to read it. I gave it an extra star because the writing is so accomplished and fluid. Truly expert. You never see Fowles break a sweat in terms of conveying what he wants to say in the simplest, most poetic terms. But what is he saying? The story is overblown nonsense. Still, if I were 16, I might have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A good mystery which is never solved - very unsatisfying, 09 Jan 2008
I was warned by my girlfriend that The Magus was hard going - she gave up about half way through, which is most unlike her - and that she'd seen a lot of negative reviews of the book. I'm glad I persisted: I found the "trust no-one" double-dealing mystery very gripping, rather similar to the genre that Robert Goddard does so much better.

But the ending was very underwhelming. I'm still none the wiser as to why Conchis was playing his psychological games with a succession of teachers at the school. What was his motivation? I hoped that by the end of the book I'd be put out of my misery. But it was not to be. Several days of reading with no pay-off at the end. What a waste.

And all the characters (Urfe, Conchis, June, Julie, Alison) were odious - there wasn't much that endeared you to them. If you are to follow the exploits and experiences of a hero, you need to have some empathy for him.

A 650 page shaggy dog story., 31 Dec 2007
Like FLW (Fowles' next book) The Magus is well written, compulsive even. However, all the characters are woefully lacking in the qualities needed for the reader to develop any sympathy with them. Conchis, Alison, Nicholas himself, the two, er, 'young ladies': all fairly loathsome. I struggled through to the end, looking for some redemption, some sign that someone in this book had learned something, grown. In vain. Nicholas doesn't even have the decency to warn the poor chap who follows in his footsteps. He's an unpleasant piece of work. They are all unpleasant.

Beggars belief that Nicholas could be so stupid, too: fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times - on and on and on. I wanted to shout 'Wake up, idiot! You're on a wild goose chase!' The book ends as it starts, with the characters and the reader none the wiser, and a day or two's reading time wasted. Yes, truly wasted.

FLW is the better book: shorter too if you don't like you're agony long-winded. Ultimately, though, they're both about female/male manipulation and really not my cup of tea.

A good book but..., 01 Oct 2008
We got this book to read in our english lesson (we are top set) and the first bit was ok, it was well written, sad but beuatiful but maybe a bit too long in places. The second bit is from her point of view and in diary form, and although i have not finished it I am finding it really boring, it was a good idea but she is writing way too much, i am finding it hard to keep going with it. So, personally it is not my sort of book, i prefer a good fantasy/action/adventure but for other people it may be a book of their dreams, certinally some my friends really liked it. (the ones who finished it)

My all time best read, 27 Sep 2008
It is my own stupidity that i didnt read this book for so long simply b/c is was written decades ago. Judged it by its cover so-to-speak.
Awesome. Emotionally sucks you in, and doesnt let go until the end which not only is a twist and a shocker, it leaves you stunned. I thought about this book for days after i had read it. It contains no swearing, no sex (although there are sexual themes in it), no real violence, but is one of the creepiest books ive ever read. Magestic writing all the way through, and i was in a constant struggle much like Miranda (central character) whether to hate or pity the main character.
You must read this books, it is a classic and i loved it from start to finish.

Don't collect this, 12 Aug 2008
Not as appalling as the low rating suggests. This is a competent enough book despite its flaws. That it is considered to be so good probably tells us more about the times in which it was written than any long-distance power. Perhaps it seemed more radical then to include a protagonist who was both vaguely 'normal' and an exploitative bastard seriously low on empathy. But the symmetry between kidnapper and butterfly collector does not bear out its superficial promise. The dual narrative fails to convince and makes the whole work a little over-long. The style itself is pedestrian, which makes this quick to read but ultimately forgettable.

The Collector, 07 Aug 2008
What a stunning book! I'd heard about 15 minutes of it on the radio so I bought it.....devoured it in a couple of days and then my daughter (aged 14) wanted to read it too......we both still think of it as one of our favourite books. It's so......sinister.....fascinating.....unnerving.....brilliant.

Almost Perfect, 19 Mar 2008
This book is so well-written, especially given that the author writes the thoughts of both a male and a female; very tricky to do, and few can pull it off this well. The use of free direct thought and indirect speech is very clever; it strongly alters the way you think and the way you view the characters, to make the whole process of reading the story very...emotionally difficult, almost.
The ending is perfect in that we are still asking questions and wanting a little bit more...and those questions are what keep you thinking about the book long after you've finished reading it. A book which leaves no open endings is one that you will accept, forget, and move on from. The Collector is certainly not one of those.

The reason is gets 4 stars and not 5 is because I gave The Time Traveler's Wife 5 stars and although startlingly good, this book doesn't meet up to my TTW standards. (But then, NO book does. If I could give TTW 6 stars then The Collector would get 5). Overall: a brilliant buy. Recommended to everyone.

a difficult book to become absorbed with, 26 Aug 2008
I couldn't establish if the author was actually the narrator. There is a point where the narrator describes himself and it matches the picture of the author hence my confusion. The novel is set in 1867 in Lyme Regis. If you are a reader of Victorian literature then you'll understand the social set ups and class systems but even though I have read novels of this time I still struggled with many aspects and this is down to the narrator.

I had many `arguments' with the narrator whilst I was reading as I didn't like some of the styles. The reader is presented with a narrator that is telling us a story as he is writing it but when he comes to a certain point where a character might do something he precedes to tell the reader he doesn't know what will happen as his character hasn't grown yet, or later on in the novel he'll say a character has developed and is making their own mind up about something. It was too contrived for me and made it easy to not have to fully develop the plot and characters.

Had I simply been reading a story about the characters of this novel written in the 1960s but set approximately 100 years earlier, it wouldn't have been anything different so credit to John Fowles for trying to write something more unusual than the norm. I knew nothing of the plot when I read it but I think most people know something of the story and I don't know if Sarah's crime was handled in the right way or not. However, I did become caught up in the other character's thoughts and opinions about Sarah, the French Lieutenant's Woman as well as her own absorption in her reputation. I think I'll read something else by him but only because it's part of a list of books I'm reading through.


A classical masterpiece, 27 Dec 2007
I was late coming to this novel. I have heard of the film but never seen it and foolishly thought the book would be some OTT Mills and Boon-type love story. In fact it is a gripping page turner, at times so witty I laughed out loud and at others so dramatic I couldn't put it down. Fowles has such a deep understanding of what it takes to be a novelist that he can subvert the usual roles of character and reader and allows us to join forces with the narrator as we watch the drama unfold. A hugely passsionate and brilliantly well-written novel. I know I can't now see the film as it would never measure up.

Still fresh and intriguing, 18 Dec 2007
As fresh and intriguing as on my first reading of this book many years ago. The Victorian age is brilliantly portrayed from the genteel pretensions of Lyme to the rough and tumble of the seedier parts of London. The main characters are strongly portrayed. Would-be paleontologist Charles is from a comfortable upper class background but condescends happily to become engaged to Ernestina who is a pleasant but shallow daughter of a prosperous middle class draper. But into their lives comes Sarah, the enigmatic woman who is rumoured to have been "ruined" by a liaison with French seaman.

Fowles is particularly good on the class war and social mores of the time: The attitude of society to Sarah is shocking as is the off-hand way in which servants are treated. When Ernestina's father suggests that Charles join the drapery business he is truly aghast at the idea even though he has no career in mind.

Sarah remains ambiguous - we are left uncertain as to whether she is manipulative and self-absorbed or badly treated and depressed. Throughout the book she both irritates and evokes our sympathy.

The other central character is the writer himself. He playfully drops in and out of the writing, discussing the motives of the characters and suggesting three different endings. This works superbly. The French Lieutenant's Woman is a twentieth century classic.


A finely tuned twentieth century classic, 03 May 2007
This is by far the most finely crafted novel by John Fowles i have read. He generally enjoys long - but no less than erudite - passages of analysis and description, but this is the one that strikes a very good balance between craft and content. The novel begins as a traditional Victorian novel of manners, but it very soon becomes apparent that this method is (as the blurb on the back says) actually being mocked very artistically by the author. Classical realist descriptions are often interposed with references to the time the narrator is narrating from; 1969. The author never lets you fall into the trap usually set by an omniscient narrator, and reminds you of your position as a reader. This comes most starkly into focus when the narrator begins to 'converse' with the reader on what should happen with the various characters. The final, and very well crafted piece of metafiction comes when the author appears in the same train carriage as a character, and expresses his desire to have alternative endings. This is an appropriate contrast to the more clumsier proponents of metafiction, such as Paul Auster. The metafiction aside, he also manages to engage in meaningful social and political commentary, as well as providing a passionate and convincing love story.

In short, this is a novel that is not only a highly capable and complex piece of art, but one that is thoroughly readable as a modern British classic.

More than just a historical novel, 24 May 2006
Let me begin by admitting that it is some time since I read this book. I have seen the film, which contains a great deal of additional content - enjoyable though. I am astonished that no one else has reviewed the book.

The plot of the novel can be read on a website dedicated to the author, so I will not summarise it here. Suffice it to say that this is a historical novel set in the middle of the nineteenth century. The author writes with authority about the period, and engages with some of its most important issues. His prose is extremely vivid and makes you feel that you are present at the events he describes. The character of Sarah is intriguingly mysterious, but whereas in The Magus (a lesser work by the same author) the mystery does not give way to a convincing characterisation in every case, in this book the events are plausible. An additional pleasure, however, is the author's experiment with the whole concept of the novel. His ability to write sensually means that this is not the dry, cerebral exercise you might imagine, but fascinatingly playful.

Falling from the Ebony Tower..., 18 May 2006
The Enigma may well be the most famous story in this collection, but it would be unwise to overlook The Ebony Tower and, indeed, Eliduc, which should be read in connection with this. Aside from the strong scent of eroticism that permeates the story, this novella is mainly concerned with the nature of art, and the individual. Williams and Breasley are both artists who represent a different school of art, and a different historical and intellectual context. The action involves a conceptual clash of these ideas, set amongst the fecund and atavistic French forest. Parellels with the nature of art can be seen in the battles between body and mind (Williams and Anne), and representation and abstraction (Williams and Breasley). There are also a number of close parallels and implicit references to Eliduc, the following short story, but it is by no means a parody. With all of these elements based around a tight, measured prose, and an unchallenging structure, it makes for a highly engaging - and introspective read. One that makes you ask as many questions of yourself, as of art and the novel.

real stuff, lively and alive, 03 Aug 2005
Enigma is the most famous tale of this book, it is reported in a collection of modern short stories by Penguin Books, but you can't forget the dramatic feeling of the prisoner in the cottage, and the story that gives the name to the book, you will read it every time with great pleasure as it could be new and touching: a Picasso-minded painter casted away on an isolated Provence cottage, with two angels of the Eden for confort, able to make the subject of the tale mad wondering about his choices in life and his marriage. Great!

The book to bring with you on a desert island, 06 Apr 2001
The Enigma is the story that you could buy this book for. It has everything : mystery, crime and love and you have this uncanny feeling that the characters suddenly become so alive (or the reader so dangerously fictional) that they know who and where they really are (do you?).

John Marcus Fielding, MP, suddenly disappears and young detective Jennings is assigned and meets the missing person's almost daughter-in-law Isobel and - yes, there is romance, yet the story is the same. It is still the same issue. Enjoy it (but it might scare you). The other stories are treats, as well.

Insightful and profound, 06 Nov 2006
I read this immediately after finishing the Magus. As a forty something father of three and a fan of Sebastian Foulkes I enjoyed the Magus but found Daniel Martin much more moving. There were many passages of profound meaning, many phrases that demonstrate J.F's insight into the human condition - he describes the rigid intelectual Anthony as being very good at looking at orchids but no good at finding them. As with the Magus, it needs to be read in the context of when it was written ( I would be interested to read Martin Amis' comments on the character Jane's statements on Stalinist USSR) but the vast majority of the observations are timeless. I expect some of the passages were worked on for some time before being accepted by the author; every word belongs and can not be improved upon. The material demonstrates J.F's love of nature and humanity. His descriptions of Devon and Dartmoor made me want to rush back there.

I am not sure I would have been ready for this book until now. Perhaps, like much else in life, one has to be ready to listen before one can hear and understand.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

MD

An outstanding and clever novel, 14 Mar 2003
This amazing piece of literature deserves to be held in the same high regard as the author's other works. It is the telling of Daniel Martin's life through a linear narrative of "current events" interrupted by chapters detailing his past. The eponymous central character is a bit of an anti-hero and a screenwriter and it is as if Fowles is trying to create this "biographical novel" to read as a screenplay would - revisiting scenes from the past to give you an insight into the current life of a man.
Very clever and absorbing - a must read for all fans of this truly great novelist.

Not as good as "The Collector", "The Magus" etc. etc.., 16 Aug 2000
Hmm well. What should I say? John Fowles is a talented writer, and I think that if you buy this book, you will not be sorry. You will find many deep thoughts in it, many same ideas as have been presented in Fowles' other books. But still, something is missing. My opinion is, that this novel ( although well and skillfully written ) doesn't have as fascinating story as the other novels have had. Personally, I didn't much like this Daniel Martin, I found him very traditional, typical, chauvinistic middle-aged man. Though there must be some values in describing a character like that.. I didn't feel any true interest. Maybe because I have met so many "daniel martins" in real life!

A great pager turner but unltimately unbelievable, 03 Oct 2008
I couldn't put this book down as I journeyed from one plot twist to the next, wondering where it was going and what the mystery was all about. However, when all was revealed - what a disappointment. There was no really mystery just a rather silly and unbelievable charade. What was the point of it all? Does the author really believe the reader is likely to be convinced by this? A whole gang of people trying to administer a moral lesson to someone they've never met before, involving what must be wild expenditure and about 6 months of time! Totally ridiculous. However, the shear suspense and the writing in many ways mitigate what is a deeply ridiculous and unconvincing plot. The changes in modes of behaviour since the book was written in the 60's means it has not aged well either.

Strange but enjoyable, 30 Jun 2008
Definitely one of the stranger books I have read. You are left in the dark all the way through and still guessing at the end. I am not one for too much detail in stories so that is my main criticism- it was too much for me. On the otherhand the latter might be just what they like. It was a weird storyline, and several times I started to think I was losing the plot when reading it, which is great because that is exactly how the main character feels. The ending leaves your imagination to decide where the story goes. It is a long story and struggle to get through it but worth reading it from start to finish.

exellently written nonsense, 12 Apr 2008
Maybe I am too old for The Magus. I agree it is a book for adolescents. But I felt cheated by how much time it took me to read it. I gave it an extra star because the writing is so accomplished and fluid. Truly expert. You never see Fowles break a sweat in terms of conveying what he wants to say in the simplest, most poetic terms. But what is he saying? The story is overblown nonsense. Still, if I were 16, I might have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A good mystery which is never solved - very unsatisfying, 09 Jan 2008
I was warned by my girlfriend that The Magus was hard going - she gave up about half way through, which is most unlike her - and that she'd seen a lot of negative reviews of the book. I'm glad I persisted: I found the "trust no-one" double-dealing mystery very gripping, rather similar to the genre that Robert Goddard does so much better.

But the ending was very underwhelming. I'm still none the wiser as to why Conchis was playing his psychological games with a succession of teachers at the school. What was his motivation? I hoped that by the end of the book I'd be put out of my misery. But it was not to be. Several days of reading with no pay-off at the end. What a waste.

And all the characters (Urfe, Conchis, June, Julie, Alison) were odious - there wasn't much that endeared you to them. If you are to follow the exploits and experiences of a hero, you need to have some empathy for him.

A 650 page shaggy dog story., 31 Dec 2007
Like FLW (Fowles' next book) The Magus is well written, compulsive even. However, all the characters are woefully lacking in the qualities needed for the reader to develop any sympathy with them. Conchis, Alison, Nicholas himself, the two, er, 'young ladies': all fairly loathsome. I struggled through to the end, looking for some redemption, some sign that someone in this book had learned something, grown. In vain. Nicholas doesn't even have the decency to warn the poor chap who follows in his footsteps. He's an unpleasant piece of work. They are all unpleasant.

Beggars belief that Nicholas could be so stupid, too: fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times - on and on and on. I wanted to shout 'Wake up, idiot! You're on a wild goose chase!' The book ends as it starts, with the characters and the reader none the wiser, and a day or two's reading time wasted. Yes, truly wasted.

FLW is the better book: shorter too if you don't like you're agony long-winded. Ultimately, though, they're both about female/male manipulation and really not my cup of tea.

A good book but..., 01 Oct 2008
We got this book to read in our english lesson (we are top set) and the first bit was ok, it was well written, sad but beuatiful but maybe a bit too long in places. The second bit is from her point of view and in diary form, and although i have not finished it I am finding it really boring, it was a good idea but she is writing way too much, i am finding it hard to keep going with it. So, personally it is not my sort of book, i prefer a good fantasy/action/adventure but for other people it may be a book of their dreams, certinally some my friends really liked it. (the ones who finished it)

My all time best read, 27 Sep 2008
It is my own stupidity that i didnt read this book for so long simply b/c is was written decades ago. Judged it by its cover so-to-speak.
Awesome. Emotionally sucks you in, and doesnt let go until the end which not only is a twist and a shocker, it leaves you stunned. I thought about this book for days after i had read it. It contains no swearing, no sex (although there are sexual themes in it), no real violence, but is one of the creepiest books ive ever read. Magestic writing all the way through, and i was in a constant struggle much like Miranda (central character) whether to hate or pity the main character.
You must read this books, it is a classic and i loved it from start to finish.

Don't collect this, 12 Aug 2008
Not as appalling as the low rating suggests. This is a competent enough book despite its flaws. That it is considered to be so good probably tells us more about the times in which it was written than any long-distance power. Perhaps it seemed more radical then to include a protagonist who was both vaguely 'normal' and an exploitative bastard seriously low on empathy. But the symmetry between kidnapper and butterfly collector does not bear out its superficial promise. The dual narrative fails to convince and makes the whole work a little over-long. The style itself is pedestrian, which makes this quick to read but ultimately forgettable.

The Collector, 07 Aug 2008
What a stunning book! I'd heard about 15 minutes of it on the radio so I bought it.....devoured it in a couple of days and then my daughter (aged 14) wanted to read it too......we both still think of it as one of our favourite books. It's so......sinister.....fascinating.....unnerving.....brilliant.

Almost Perfect, 19 Mar 2008
This book is so well-written, especially given that the author writes the thoughts of both a male and a female; very tricky to do, and few can pull it off this well. The use of free direct thought and indirect speech is very clever; it strongly alters the way you think and the way you view the characters, to make the whole process of reading the story very...emotionally difficult, almost.
The ending is perfect in that we are still asking questions and wanting a little bit more...and those questions are what keep you thinking about the book long after you've finished reading it. A book which leaves no open endings is one that you will accept, forget, and move on from. The Collector is certainly not one of those.

The reason is gets 4 stars and not 5 is because I gave The Time Traveler's Wife 5 stars and although startlingly good, this book doesn't meet up to my TTW standards. (But then, NO book does. If I could give TTW 6 stars then The Collector would get 5). Overall: a brilliant buy. Recommended to everyone.

a difficult book to become absorbed with, 26 Aug 2008
I couldn't establish if the author was actually the narrator. There is a point where the narrator describes himself and it matches the picture of the author hence my confusion. The novel is set in 1867 in Lyme Regis. If you are a reader of Victorian literature then you'll understand the social set ups and class systems but even though I have read novels of this time I still struggled with many aspects and this is down to the narrator.

I had many `arguments' with the narrator whilst I was reading as I didn't like some of the styles. The reader is presented with a narrator that is telling us a story as he is writing it but when he comes to a certain point where a character might do something he precedes to tell the reader he doesn't know what will happen as his character hasn't grown yet, or later on in the novel he'll say a character has developed and is making their own mind up about something. It was too contrived for me and made it easy to not have to fully develop the plot and characters.

Had I simply been reading a story about the characters of this novel written in the 1960s but set approximately 100 years earlier, it wouldn't have been anything different so credit to John Fowles for trying to write something more unusual than the norm. I knew nothing of the plot when I read it but I think most people know something of the story and I don't know if Sarah's crime was handled in the right way or not. However, I did become caught up in the other character's thoughts and opinions about Sarah, the French Lieutenant's Woman as well as her own absorption in her reputation. I think I'll read something else by him but only because it's part of a list of books I'm reading through.


A classical masterpiece, 27 Dec 2007
I was late coming to this novel. I have heard of the film but never seen it and foolishly thought the book would be some OTT Mills and Boon-type love story. In fact it is a gripping page turner, at times so witty I laughed out loud and at others so dramatic I couldn't put it down. Fowles has such a deep understanding of what it takes to be a novelist that he can subvert the usual roles of character and reader and allows us to join forces with the narrator as we watch the drama unfold. A hugely passsionate and brilliantly well-written novel. I know I can't now see the film as it would never measure up.

Still fresh and intriguing, 18 Dec 2007
As fresh and intriguing as on my first reading of this book many years ago. The Victorian age is brilliantly portrayed from the genteel pretensions of Lyme to the rough and tumble of the seedier parts of London. The main characters are strongly portrayed. Would-be paleontologist Charles is from a comfortable upper class background but condescends happily to become engaged to Ernestina who is a pleasant but shallow daughter of a prosperous middle class draper. But into their lives comes Sarah, the enigmatic woman who is rumoured to have been "ruined" by a liaison with French seaman.

Fowles is particularly good on the class war and social mores of the time: The attitude of society to Sarah is shocking as is the off-hand way in which servants are treated. When Ernestina's father suggests that Charles join the drapery business he is truly aghast at the idea even though he has no career in mind.

Sarah remains ambiguous - we are left uncertain as to whether she is manipulative and self-absorbed or badly treated and depressed. Throughout the book she both irritates and evokes our sympathy.

The other central character is the writer himself. He playfully drops in and out of the writing, discussing the motives of the characters and suggesting three different endings. This works superbly. The French Lieutenant's Woman is a twentieth century classic.


A finely tuned twentieth century classic, 03 May 2007
This is by far the most finely crafted novel by John Fowles i have read. He generally enjoys long - but no less than erudite - passages of analysis and description, but this is the one that strikes a very good balance between craft and content. The novel begins as a traditional Victorian novel of manners, but it very soon becomes apparent that this method is (as the blurb on the back says) actually being mocked very artistically by the author. Classical realist descriptions are often interposed with references to the time the narrator is narrating from; 1969. The author never lets you fall into the trap usually set by an omniscient narrator, and reminds you of your position as a reader. This comes most starkly into focus when the narrator begins to 'converse' with the reader on what should happen with the various characters. The final, and very well crafted piece of metafiction comes when the author appears in the same train carriage as a character, and expresses his desire to have alternative endings. This is an appropriate contrast to the more clumsier proponents of metafiction, such as Paul Auster. The metafiction aside, he also manages to engage in meaningful social and political commentary, as well as providing a passionate and convincing love story.

In short, this is a novel that is not only a highly capable and complex piece of art, but one that is thoroughly readable as a modern British classic.

More than just a historical novel, 24 May 2006
Let me begin by admitting that it is some time since I read this book. I have seen the film, which contains a great deal of additional content - enjoyable though. I am astonished that no one else has reviewed the book.

The plot of the novel can be read on a website dedicated to the author, so I will not summarise it here. Suffice it to say that this is a historical novel set in the middle of the nineteenth century. The author writes with authority about the period, and engages with some of its most important issues. His prose is extremely vivid and makes you feel that you are present at the events he describes. The character of Sarah is intriguingly mysterious, but whereas in The Magus (a lesser work by the same author) the mystery does not give way to a convincing characterisation in every case, in this book the events are plausible. An additional pleasure, however, is the author's experiment with the whole concept of the novel. His ability to write sensually means that this is not the dry, cerebral exercise you might imagine, but fascinatingly playful.

Falling from the Ebony Tower..., 18 May 2006
The Enigma may well be the most famous story in this collection, but it would be unwise to overlook The Ebony Tower and, indeed, Eliduc, which should be read in connection with this. Aside from the strong scent of eroticism that permeates the story, this novella is mainly concerned with the nature of art, and the individual. Williams and Breasley are both artists who represent a different school of art, and a different historical and intellectual context. The action involves a conceptual clash of these ideas, set amongst the fecund and atavistic French forest. Parellels with the nature of art can be seen in the battles between body and mind (Williams and Anne), and representation and abstraction (Williams and Breasley). There are also a number of close parallels and implicit references to Eliduc, the following short story, but it is by no means a parody. With all of these elements based around a tight, measured prose, and an unchallenging structure, it makes for a highly engaging - and introspective read. One that makes you ask as many questions of yourself, as of art and the novel.

real stuff, lively and alive, 03 Aug 2005
Enigma is the most famous tale of this book, it is reported in a collection of modern short stories by Penguin Books, but you can't forget the dramatic feeling of the prisoner in the cottage, and the story that gives the name to the book, you will read it every time with great pleasure as it could be new and touching: a Picasso-minded painter casted away on an isolated Provence cottage, with two angels of the Eden for confort, able to make the subject of the tale mad wondering about his choices in life and his marriage. Great!

The book to bring with you on a desert island, 06 Apr 2001
The Enigma is the story that you could buy this book for. It has everything : mystery, crime and love and you have this uncanny feeling that the characters suddenly become so alive (or the reader so dangerously fictional) that they know who and where they really are (do you?).

John Marcus Fielding, MP, suddenly disappears and young detective Jennings is assigned and meets the missing person's almost daughter-in-law Isobel and - yes, there is romance, yet the story is the same. It is still the same issue. Enjoy it (but it might scare you). The other stories are treats, as well.

Insightful and profound, 06 Nov 2006
I read this immediately after finishing the Magus. As a forty something father of three and a fan of Sebastian Foulkes I enjoyed the Magus but found Daniel Martin much more moving. There were many passages of profound meaning, many phrases that demonstrate J.F's insight into the human condition - he describes the rigid intelectual Anthony as being very good at looking at orchids but no good at finding them. As with the Magus, it needs to be read in the context of when it was written ( I would be interested to read Martin Amis' comments on the character Jane's statements on Stalinist USSR) but the vast majority of the observations are timeless. I expect some of the passages were worked on for some time before being accepted by the author; every word belongs and can not be improved upon. The material demonstrates J.F's love of nature and humanity. His descriptions of Devon and Dartmoor made me want to rush back there.

I am not sure I would have been ready for this book until now. Perhaps, like much else in life, one has to be ready to listen before one can hear and understand.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

MD

An outstanding and clever novel, 14 Mar 2003
This amazing piece of literature deserves to be held in the same high regard as the author's other works. It is the telling of Daniel Martin's life through a linear narrative of "current events" interrupted by chapters detailing his past. The eponymous central character is a bit of an anti-hero and a screenwriter and it is as if Fowles is trying to create this "biographical novel" to read as a screenplay would - revisiting scenes from the past to give you an insight into the current life of a man.
Very clever and absorbing - a must read for all fans of this truly great novelist.

Not as good as "The Collector", "The Magus" etc. etc.., 16 Aug 2000
Hmm well. What should I say? John Fowles is a talented writer, and I think that if you buy this book, you will not be sorry. You will find many deep thoughts in it, many same ideas as have been presented in Fowles' other books. But still, something is missing. My opinion is, that this novel ( although well and skillfully written ) doesn't have as fascinating story as the other novels have had. Personally, I didn't much like this Daniel Martin, I found him very traditional, typical, chauvinistic middle-aged man. Though there must be some values in describing a character like that.. I didn't feel any true interest. Maybe because I have met so many "daniel martins" in real life!

Honest, painful and insightful, 04 Feb 2006
These two volumes of diaries display an unflinching honesty, a trait that was evident in John Fowles’s great novels. But as Ben Johnson sagely observed of Shakespeare, ‘reader, look not upon the writer, but his book.’

Despite his literary triumph the man who emerges from these pages led a life that was frequently unhappy, at least up to 1990 when these journals conclude. Perhaps the most interesting frustration expressed in these pages is over Fowles’s own lack of any oral articulacy to compliment the quality of his writing and the power of his imagination.

Finding huge success, especially in the United States, Fowles was catapulted into the media spotlight where he was expected to perform. But he was particularly poor at this and, in time, he came to loathe the ‘media shallowness’ of the modern world and to become a recluse.

John Fowles was the very last of the pre-Second World War generation. Privately educated, he was at public school during the conflict, then served at an officer in the Royal Marines before reading French Literature at Oxford. Despite the new, more egalitarian mood that pervaded Oxford immediately after WWII, Fowles remained extremely class conscious and intolerant of fools. These diaries also seem to cast him as anti-Semitic, even though several of his few close friends were Jewish. Rather, I think he was ‘conscious’ of Jewishness and its traits in a way that the British middle-classes in the 1930s would have been. In these aspects, Fowles did not change with the times.

His spectacular (and overwhelming) American success may have been helped by the very aura of ‘old-fashioned Englishness’ that he exuded (which in the USA would have seemed very upper class), an image that played less well in the social revolution that was occurring in Britain during the 1960s and 1970s.

Above all, it seems that the latter half of Fowles’s life was blighted by a long first marriage which had turned bad and a stroke in 1988 that he felt affected his ability to write fiction (although the journals remain lucid and insightful).

Fowles unsparingly records his refusal to take on his wife’s young daughter by a previous marriage and his own wish not to have children. This was perhaps the ‘pram in the hall’ syndrome that Philip Larkin expressed on behalf of all artists, but it seems shabby and very mean spirited. Later it was to become a major bone of contention in the marriage.

Neither he nor his wife Elizabeth (who died in 1990) found the strength to leave the union (although the mutual desire appears in the journals) and it its heartrending to read of their antagonism and unhappiness during the years that led up to her death. In a masterstroke as exciting as the appearance of ‘the author’ in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Elizabeth Fowles’s own voice appears near the end of these journals to answer angrily her husband’s many complaints about her. The naked, impotent fury that existed between the pair is laid bare.

Many entries in these journals express dolorous negativity. Fowles despaired of much – particularly the rise of the British proletariat who, when they gained economic independence and personal enfranchisement, turned out to be ugly, loud and crass. A life-long socialist, the results of the democratisation of privilege and culture for the working class dismayed the novelist. It was an irony he recognised and recorded in these journals.

Above all, John Fowles loved nature. His comfort came from his garden and the countryside around Lyme Regis where, despite Elizabeth’s intense dislike of the town’s provincialism., they lived for over twenty-five years, until her death.

Unsparing in criticism and self-criticism, these journals are the most wonderful, painful and rewarding insight into a life that was overwhelmed by success. Had Fowles made a living, rather than a killing, from his work, he would probably have been more productive and, perhaps, somewhat happier.

Ray Hammond

A great pager turner but unltimately unbelievable, 03 Oct 2008
I couldn't put this book down as I journeyed from one plot twist to the next, wondering where it was going and what the mystery was all about. However, when all was revealed - what a disappointment. There was no really mystery just a rather silly and unbelievable charade. What was the point of it all? Does the author really believe the reader is likely to be convinced by this? A whole gang of people trying to administer a moral lesson to someone they've never met before, involving what must be wild expenditure and about 6 months of time! Totally ridiculous. However, the shear suspense and the writing in many ways mitigate what is a deeply ridiculous and unconvincing plot. The changes in modes of behaviour since the book was written in the 60's means it has not aged well either.

Strange but enjoyable, 30 Jun 2008
Definitely one of the stranger books I have read. You are left in the dark all the way through and still guessing at the end. I am not one for too much detail in stories so that is my main criticism- it was too much for me. On the otherhand the latter might be just what they like. It was a weird storyline, and several times I started to think I was losing the plot when reading it, which is great because that is exactly how the main character feels. The ending leaves your imagination to decide where the story goes. It is a long story and struggle to get through it but worth reading it from start to finish.

exellently written nonsense, 12 Apr 2008
Maybe I am too old for The Magus. I agree it is a book for adolescents. But I felt cheated by how much time it took me to read it. I gave it an extra star because the writing is so accomplished and fluid. Truly expert. You never see Fowles break a sweat in terms of conveying what he wants to say in the simplest, most poetic terms. But what is he saying? The story is overblown nonsense. Still, if I were 16, I might have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A good mystery which is never solved - very unsatisfying, 09 Jan 2008
I was warned by my girlfriend that The Magus was hard going - she gave up about half way through, which is most unlike her - and that she'd seen a lot of negative reviews of the book. I'm glad I persisted: I found the "trust no-one" double-dealing mystery very gripping, rather similar to the genre that Robert Goddard does so much better.

But the ending was very underwhelming. I'm still none the wiser as to why Conchis was playing his psychological games with a succession of teachers at the school. What was his motivation? I hoped that by the end of the book I'd be put out of my misery. But it was not to be. Several days of reading with no pay-off at the end. What a waste.

And all the characters (Urfe, Conchis, June, Julie, Alison) were odious - there wasn't much that endeared you to them. If you are to follow the exploits and experiences of a hero, you need to have some empathy for him.

A 650 page shaggy dog story., 31 Dec 2007
Like FLW (Fowles' next book) The Magus is well written, compulsive even. However, all the characters are woefully lacking in the qualities needed for the reader to develop any sympathy with them. Conchis, Alison, Nicholas himself, the two, er, 'young ladies': all fairly loathsome. I struggled through to the end, looking for some redemption, some sign that someone in this book had learned something, grown. In vain. Nicholas doesn't even have the decency to warn the poor chap who follows in his footsteps. He's an unpleasant piece of work. They are all unpleasant.

Beggars belief that Nicholas could be so stupid, too: fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times - on and on and on. I wanted to shout 'Wake up, idiot! You're on a wild goose chase!' The book ends as it starts, with the characters and the reader none the wiser, and a day or two's reading time wasted. Yes, truly wasted.

FLW is the better book: shorter too if you don't like you're agony long-winded. Ultimately, though, they're both about female/male manipulation and really not my cup of tea.

A good book but..., 01 Oct 2008
We got this book to read in our english lesson (we are top set) and the first bit was ok, it was well written, sad but beuatiful but maybe a bit too long in places. The second bit is from her point of view and in diary form, and although i have not finished it I am finding it really boring, it was a good idea but she is writing way too much, i am finding it hard to keep going with it. So, personally it is not my sort of book, i prefer a good fantasy/action/adventure but for other people it may be a book of their dreams, certinally some my friends really liked it. (the ones who finished it)

My all time best read, 27 Sep 2008
It is my own stupidity that i didnt read this book for so long simply b/c is was written decades ago. Judged it by its cover so-to-speak.
Awesome. Emotionally sucks you in, and doesnt let go until the end which not only is a twist and a shocker, it leaves you stunned. I thought about this book for days after i had read it. It contains no swearing, no sex (although there are sexual themes in it), no real violence, but is one of the creepiest books ive ever read. Magestic writing all the way through, and i was in a constant struggle much like Miranda (central character) whether to hate or pity the main character.
You must read this books, it is a classic and i loved it from start to finish.

Don't collect this, 12 Aug 2008
Not as appalling as the low rating suggests. This is a competent enough book despite its flaws. That it is considered to be so good probably tells us more about the times in which it was written than any long-distance power. Perhaps it seemed more radical then to include a protagonist who was both vaguely 'normal' and an exploitative bastard seriously low on empathy. But the symmetry between kidnapper and butterfly collector does not bear out its superficial promise. The dual narrative fails to convince and makes the whole work a little over-long. The style itself is pedestrian, which makes this quick to read but ultimately forgettable.

The Collector, 07 Aug 2008
What a stunning book! I'd heard about 15 minutes of it on the radio so I bought it.....devoured it in a couple of days and then my daughter (aged 14) wanted to read it too......we both still think of it as one of our favourite books. It's so......sinister.....fascinating.....unnerving.....brilliant.

Almost Perfect, 19 Mar 2008
This book is so well-written, especially given that the author writes the thoughts of both a male and a female; very tricky to do, and few can pull it off this well. The use of free direct thought and indirect speech is very clever; it strongly alters the way you think and the way you view the characters, to make the whole process of reading the story very...emotionally difficult, almost.
The ending is perfect in that we are still asking questions and wanting a little bit more...and those questions are what keep you thinking about the book long after you've finished reading it. A book which leaves no open endings is one that you will accept, forget, and move on from. The Collector is certainly not one of those.

The reason is gets 4 stars and not 5 is because I gave The Time Traveler's Wife 5 stars and although startlingly good, this book doesn't meet up to my TTW standards. (But then, NO book does. If I could give TTW 6 stars then The Collector would get 5). Overall: a brilliant buy. Recommended to everyone.

a difficult book to become absorbed with, 26 Aug 2008
I couldn't establish if the author was actually the narrator. There is a point where the narrator describes himself and it matches the picture of the author hence my confusion. The novel is set in 1867 in Lyme Regis. If you are a reader of Victorian literature then you'll understand the social set ups and class systems but even though I have read novels of this time I still struggled with many aspects and this is down to the narrator.

I had many `arguments' with the narrator whilst I was reading as I didn't like some of the styles. The reader is presented with a narrator that is telling us a story as he is writing it but when he comes to a certain point where a character might do something he precedes to tell the reader he doesn't know what will happen as his character hasn't grown yet, or later on in the novel he'll say a character has developed and is making their own mind up about something. It was too contrived for me and made it easy to not have to fully develop the plot and characters.

Had I simply been reading a story about the characters of this novel written in the 1960s but set approximately 100 years earlier, it wouldn't have been anything different so credit to John Fowles for trying to write something more unusual than the norm. I knew nothing of the plot when I read it but I think most people know something of the story and I don't know if Sarah's crime was handled in the right way or not. However, I did become caught up in the other character's thoughts and opinions about Sarah, the French Lieutenant's Woman as well as her own absorption in her reputation. I think I'll read something else by him but only because it's part of a list of books I'm reading through.


A classical masterpiece, 27 Dec 2007
I was late coming to this novel. I have heard of the film but never seen it and foolishly thought the book would be some OTT Mills and Boon-type love story. In fact it is a gripping page turner, at times so witty I laughed out loud and at others so dramatic I couldn't put it down. Fowles has such a deep understanding of what it takes to be a novelist that he can subvert the usual roles of character and reader and allows us to join forces with the narrator as we watch the drama unfold. A hugely passsionate and brilliantly well-written novel. I know I can't now see the film as it would never measure up.

Still fresh and intriguing, 18 Dec 2007
As fresh and intriguing as on my first reading of this book many years ago. The Victorian age is brilliantly portrayed from the genteel pretensions of Lyme to the rough and tum