Jump to content

The Magus by John Fowles


runner

Recommended Posts

I would love the forum's views on this book. I have read twice and found myself over the years thinking about it's content (young man travelling to Greek island and what he meets there) It's influence on me was the experiences that the adventurer had and the way he reacted...how would I have reacted in a similar way?....has anyone else read? I have also enjoyed The French Lieutenant's Woman (didn't Jeremy Ions and Meryl streep appear in the movie) and found The Collector rather odd :roll::irked:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read this years ago and loved it, but I found when I tried many years later to read it again that my opinion had really changed.

 

Where it had felt taut and smart and engrossing, it later felt self indulgent and a bit clever-clever. I mentioned a little while ago on another therad that I felt that often books have their own time in our lives, where they capture us at a certain stage. Some books perhaps should not be re read, but left to glow in a younger light.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't actually read this yet but it's on my TBR pile and the blurb sounded really intriguing, that's why I bought it. I've read The Collector a few years ago and found it quite gripping and at the same time really disturbing. The French Lieutenant's Woman was on one of our Engligh literature courses and I vaguely remember enjoying that as well, overall I'd like to read more John Fowles's novels.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read this years ago and loved it, but I found when I tried many years later to read it again that my opinion had really changed.

 

Where it had felt taut and smart and engrossing, it later felt self indulgent and a bit clever-clever.

 

This is exactly what I thought of The Magus when I went back to it after an 18 year gap, I felt very let down :)

 

I loved The French Lieutenant's Woman, we did this in our first year uni English and even did a mini trip to Lyme Regis - no luck spotting Jeremy Irons though :roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read The Magus twice when I was in my twenties, Fowles was my favorite novelist then. I think his ideas of romantic love/obsession suit that time in one's life. As you grow older they may seem a bit quaint, if not somewhat looney.

 

The French Lieutenant's Woman is my choice as Fowles best work. Good movie too, from an ingenious Harold Pinter screenplay, whereas I find the movie version of The Magus to be unwatchable.

 

Fowles is in that precarious spot as a novelist, as to whether he will have any lasting interest for readers. His final works were not much admired. I thought his last major novel Daniel Martin was very good, one I'd like to revisit some day. I find some of his influence in modern novels, his mellifulous prose style in particular. Donna Tartt's The Secret History struck me as a direct descendent of The Magus. I also see some Fowles in Paul Auster as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...