The Magus by John Fowles Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Magus
Book Review: Minus stars; the worst book ever
Summary: 1 Stars
Well, there are other atrocious books I suppose, but right now I cannot think of anything quite as bad as The Magus. I was prompted to look at the reviews when my friend started re-reading it recently. I could hardly believe that anyone could finish it, let alone read it again.I read The Magus when I was about eighteen; at that age I was ludicrously tolerant of bad writing, but even I could not pretend to myself that I was surveying anything other than a crime against the book-buying public.
The Magus is a cringily pretentious piece of tripe about a creepy little pervert on a Greek island.The narrator (suspiciously like all of Fowles' first person narrators) is narrow and priggish.I remember being appalled by the sexist and racist stereotypes that I encountered in the writing.The bogus mysticism and facile "plot difficulties," while nothing but a desperate attempt to conceal abysmal style and non-existent characterisation, seem to fool some eager-to-be-pleased readers.
I am not generally evangelical by nature, but if only I could save one soul from reading this book.......
Book Review: An intelligent, disturbing book
Summary: 5 Stars
John Fowles writes beautifully, and this book is always easy to read no matter how dark its contents. The hero is an English everyman who becomes trapped in a situation in which it is impossible to know what is the truth. For much of the book I thought this was a piece of pretentious self indulgence, but by the end he has succeeded in making you think about a great many things: the nature of truth, love and human relationships. It is a book that you think about long after you have finished the final sentence.Book Review: The most incredible book I have ever read
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read The Magus when I was 19, and it shook my world immeasurably. I was given a copy of the original version by my father and it took over my life at the time. I remember coming off the train and reading it over dinner and then on into the early hours. On finishing it I immediately bought a copy of the revised version, and some years later re-read the original again. I envy people who embark on this literary journey for the first time, and would urge anyone who has not yet read this book to do so. It must be said however that this book is most suited for young men with a romantic nature, and not hardened cynics who prefer kitchen sink realism. This novel sparked in me a lifelong love of Greece, and encouraged me to search for and read other great novels. I particularly like Frank Delayney's The Amethysts and Pearl, Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, anything by Milan Kundera and other Fowles novels Daniel Martin and The Collector. The Magus is the greatest of them all though...just close your eyes and imagine a deserted beach on a small Island in 1950's Greece, and the sense of anticipation when you return from your swim to find a book of poety left for you with a passage marked... 'We shall not cease from exploration'.Book Review: Wow, really makes you think...
Summary: 5 Stars
The Magus is one of the best books I have read recently, I was given it by a friend to read and havnt been able to put it down. Through out the book you go through so many emotions and it makes you question everything about relationships and the world around you.
The book is very set in its time and there are some racist and sexist remarks in it but you need to remember that this book was written in the 60's and set in the 50's so in someways it reflects what was felt at the time.
John Fowles does a brilliant job of creating situations and characters while telling a wonderful story. If you like a book that makes you think, is well written and will stir emotions in you this book is for you.
Just remember beware of the waiting room.....
Book Review: Dark twisted mindgames
Summary: 5 Stars
Having never heard of John Fowles or 'The Magus' I bought this book at Christmas as a bit of a gamble and was pleased when it was all I hoped for and a lot more. The book is a long one but it is beautifully written and I found it very hard to put down. The gist of the book is this, a young romantic cad named Nicholas Urfe gets a job teaching on a Greek island, meets a Svengali type (Conchis) and is subjected to all kinds of manipulations and mindgames at Conchis' house over the length of a summer. The narrator (Nicholas) isn't a very nice person and if there is any moral to this story I suppose it's that our actions affect others much more than we suppose. By the end of the book I had come to identify a lot with Nicholas, or maybe I pitied him, but there were moments near the end where I almost couldn't bear to turn the page. This is where 'The Magus' shows itself to be an extraordinary work, in making us feel what Nicholas feels to a huge extent, so that some of his sense of fear and helplessness is experienced by the reader. This isn't a very nice feeling but it's a rare book that can make you feel this way. Overall Fowles has created a warts and all character who we can identify with, due to his ubiquitous struggle with the unknown, and a book that shocks ,scares and really makes you think. Essential reading for all would-be Lotharios !