The Magus by John Fowles
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Book Reviews of The Magus
Book Review: Unbreakable Spirit
Summary: 5 Stars
Great book. Addictive. I didn't much care for the last few pages, (the dialogue between Nicholas and Alison), but it did drive home the point, once and for all, that Nicholas Urfe would not be dominated by another person.Book Review: Great Read
Summary: 5 Stars
This book was a bit slow at first, but after about the first 100 pages it was impossible to put down. The ending was completely maddening, and I still think about it often.Book Review: he should have left it alone
Summary: 4 Stars
actually, I need to re-read the revised version while the original is still fresh in my mind. I first read this when I was 15 or so, & long before JF "tampered" with it. a few days later, it was my great misfortune to see the filmed version of the story. despite JF having written the screenplay himself, I would urge you to avoid it... it's likely that a better director would have made a better job of the (presumably) abridged version of this convoluted tale, but I doubt anyone could've directed their way out of the woeful miscasting of the lead... I tried to keep this out of my mind as I re-read this original version, but sadly I couldn't help thinking that the skillfully engaging prose only served to heighten my lack of sympathy/empathy with any of these self-absorbed misfits & sociopaths.
nothing excuses the behaviour of any of them, it wouldn't then (1953) nor would it now. the actions are utterly at odds with the assumed wrongdoings. our narrator is in his early twenties & really doesn't know any better. he has a brief fling- perhaps too brief, or too young, to realise it's proper place in his life-story, but he's then "punished" by an enormously elaborate & quite literally fantastic conspiracy. neither nicholas nor alison have kept anything back from each other vis a vis their future plans- they have their job interviews on the same day, & speculate about how the relationship might continue when each is employed away from london. I can't figure out why it is that nicholas "deserves" all the subsequent charadery or how it is in any way justified in teaching him some sort of lesson. instead I view the whole tale as an overbaked allegory for the harsh treatment that young people often mete out on each other when first exploring life partnerships, & on this occasion I'm giving JF the points purely for the quality of the writing. I didn't enjoy being in nicholas' head while all this was happening to him, no.
Book Review: The Magus
Summary: 4 Stars
This was an entertaining and captivating book. For that reason alone I give it high marks.
It is awash with the post-war hopelessness and atheistic views. The eroticism of the book
may be considered tame by today's standards, but the book does exhibit the free-love
of the sexual revolution, and may be considered adult reading.
The book does have several themes in it even though they are clumsily handled by the
extension of the plot to a non-climatic ending. The major themes that I noticed
are:
1) The circumstances of life are randomly decided.
2) The greatest gift of humanity is the ability to choose our actions.
3) The noblest thing a person can do is to use this freedom of choice
to forgive and do good unto others who have treated you badly.
The true genius of the book is the shifting of reality that is experienced
throughout the storyline.
Book Review: Great book that can't quite deliver what it promises
Summary: 4 Stars
So much has been written about the symbolism and buried meanings of this book I hardly feel qualified to comment on that front. Having finished it recently, what struck me the most was how profoundly scary certain parts of it were. Personally, I found the general conclusion of the story - both the "trial" of the climax and ensuing explanation - to be something of a letdown. The parts of the book I most enjoyed were in the first two thirds when Nicholas initially comes across a number of unexplained, possibly supernatural occurrences on Conchis' property. Perhaps it was inevitable that the pay-off could not match such a superbly sustained build-up. In any case, I enjoyed the novel a great deal and would certainly recommend it to readers with a taste for the unusual.