The Magus by John Fowles Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Magus
Book Review: "a brilliant excursion through the mirror of appearance"
Summary: 5 Stars
The acid test of any great book, it seems to me, is: Does the reader feel enriched by the contents of the book they have just read?
"The Magus" certainly met that criteria for me. This is really a multi-faceted story - some would characterize it as an elaborate game. I think it is a hero's journey built around an infrastructure of archetypes. Fowles has admitted as much in his introduction to the revised edition; it certainly took much courage and tenacity to rewrite a book that had already grabbed the literary world's attention.
"The Magus" is a maze of allusions; this fact alone makes demands on the reader's attention. The many symbolic and literary references certainly relect Fowles vast erudition: there is archetype psychology; Tarot symbolism; existential philosophic conundrums; and Greek tragedy.
There is the enigmatic figure of Conchis (The Magus) mentoring a young schoolteacher (Urfe), much like the Don Juan/Castaneda relationship.
Through the maze of self-discovery, the story of initiation unfolds.
Conchis the magician seduces the young man with "mind games"; the apprentice ends up fighting for his sanity and his life. And, through the perceptual and psychologic ordeals the young man experiences, he still remains bewildered through it all (although his arrogance has been greatly diminished).
Fowles is an amazing narrative architect, a writer's writer who really works a multi-layer story. The convolutions in the writing keep the reading in forward gear throughout.
Fowles seems to demand the suspension of belief while he evokes the beauty of the Greek island setting, perhaps as a painter would. As such, the reader is expected to project their own interpretation thoughout. This is why the power of this book lingers long after it's been shelved.
Be prepared to be challenged. Highly recommended.
[[ASIN:1934289884 Parataxis]
The Cloud Reckoner
Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
Book Review: A book I still love re-visiting
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read this novel at sixteen years old and remember reading the book for two days straight to finish. I was entranced by the imagery and by the protaganist, Nick Urfe, who is one of my favorite flawed characters of all time. Even as an adult, I still enjoy re-reading this novel because I discover new tidbits every time. One thing that is interesting is that The Magus actually had TWO editions, both of which I have read. The first edition is much less detailed in the relationship between Nick and Allison. From interviews with Fowles that I have read, the ending is meant to be ambiguous and open-ended though to appease readers, he fleshed out the ending more and added the Latin quote at the very end to give a glimmer of hope. Roughly translated, the quote is "Tomorrow let him love, who has never loved; he who has loved, let him love tomorrow." For those who find the ending dissatisfying, I would assert that the journey of the book is what makes it a great book, and the ending somehow allows that journey to continue through the questions it raises.Book Review: A mind game from start to finish.
Summary: 5 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed The Magus. It is more in depth than your standard dime store novel. It is a book that is profound, haunting and very erotic. I read it when I had time to take in all that I was reading. I found I couldn't put it down. It is well worth the 600+ pages.
This is a very intellectual novel. Fowles is well read and expects the reader to be as well. He interjects names and places from various classic novels, poems and writings, and expects the reader to know them - he doesn't give the references. Most I was familiar with, however had to look up a lot of the greek Gods & deities.
This book dealt with psychological and Jungian undertones, and someone interested in this genre will be rewarded. The entire book is a mindgame or "Godgame" as it is used in the novel. Both the main character Nicholas,as well as the reader, never knows what, or who is real, or what is staged. Throughout the novel I was challenged with guessing when the charade started. I found out in the end that I was right.
The end was a bit ambiguous, but found when I translated the closing phrase from Latin (the poem, Pervigilium Veneris), it helped me come to a conclusion about what happened between the two. I found also in my research that most everyone else who read the novel loved the book like me, and didn't understand the ending as well. The Magus generated the most letters to the author, more than any of his other works; mostly to ask what the book meant. He never gave an answer, only that it was up to the reader to come to their own conclusions as to how they interpret it.
Book Review: Brilliant!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Magus is one of those novels that you will either love or hate. It is definitely not the right book for impatient readers. The author takes his time luring you into the story with bits and pieces of stories that the reader must decipher as truth or illusion. When reading this novel, prepare to be toyed with by the author. There are stories within stories, and the reader will have their job cut out for them when trying to decide who or what to believe.
One piece of advice, don't read any spoilers before you read this novel. Read it with as little information as possible. All you need to know is this, a young englishman named Nicholas Urfe is lured to a Greek island by eccentric millionaire, Maurice Conchis. Nicholas is invited to spend time at Maurice's impressive island home, but Nicholas soon finds himself drowning in a world of lies and mind games.
John Fowles incorparates many references to psychoanalysis, literature, mythology, and foreign languages. Extensive knowledge of these subjects is not a requirement to appreciate the message behind Nicholas Urfe's bizarre experience. I was not as stunned by the big revelation as some of the other reviewers. In fact, I had strong a suspicion where the storyline was headed from the beginning. Regardless of how you feel about the ending, the mysterious and erotic atmosphere of Bourani is an experience in itself. I am forever indebted to the person who introduced to me this wonderful novel.
Book Review: Completely Enthralling
Summary: 5 Stars
Have you ever been so utterly confused -- not in the sense that you don't know what's going on, but that you know TOO MANY THINGS are going on? That's the feeling that I get from The Magus. The best way to read this book is with a complete disregard for logic. Unfortunately, that's impossible, and so Fowles ensnares his readers in a psychological tug o' war that leaves one brainless and yet exhilarated by the end of the novel. The book, of course, is not perfect, but it still desrves five stars for its ability to completely change the reader while he or she is reading it. And if you think you can pick it up and put it down at will... well, let's just say it has more control over you than you over it.