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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Smithson is torn between being a proper gentleman and his consuming attraction to the very independent Sarah Woodruff.
Strong start, meandering finish. Plenty of self-aware asides and authorial inserts.
Ich dachte es könnte richtig interessant sein, dieses Buch zu lesen. Vor allem die analytische, selbstreflexive Perspektive des Erzählers hat mir gut gefallen, aber letztendlich war es mir zu langweilig und langwierig erzählt. Ich denke es ist eines dieser Bücher, die super interessant sind, wenn man sie analysiert, weil sie eine besondere Konzeption haben, aber die wenn man sie liest einfach eine Qual sind.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book (and this author) came extremely highly recommended. And, for the most part, they lived up to their reputation. [b:The French Lieutenant's Woman|56034|The French Lieutenant's Woman (Vintage Classics)|John Fowles|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266770678s/56034.jpg|1816464] is well-written and engaging. Some people here have complained that they didn't like Fowles's "intrusions" into the story, but I actually enjoyed that aspect very much. The story was good, and the characters were (for the most part) well-drawn and believable. The plot and pacing were lovely, and I loved the ending
My only quibble comes, I think, along with the expectations. I had heard this was a good, feminist, book because of the way it handles its female characters. I found that not to be completely true. Perhaps I heard wrong, or expected too much, but the male characters in the book were much more sympathetic and well-drawn than the female ones. While there are a couple (or at least one) unequivocally good male character, there are no female characters unalloyed by foolishness, shrewishness, shallowness, or cupidity.
Also, there was one extremely odd passage having to do with lesbianism, that went out of its way to explain that no one even thought about it in the Victorian era. The passage, and the idea, struck me as not only false, but tellingly so. Someone who could write that either isn't comfortable with the idea of homosexuality as an inborn trait (as is borne out by the scientific literature) or merely isn't comfortable with the idea of women not needing men at all. Perhaps neither of these is true and it's just a clumsily written section, but it struck a discordant note for me that I couldn't quite forgive.
However, even that discordance aside, I very much enjoyed reading the book and plan to read his others.
My only quibble comes, I think, along with the expectations. I had heard this was a good, feminist, book because of the way it handles its female characters. I found that not to be completely true. Perhaps I heard wrong, or expected too much, but the male characters in the book were much more sympathetic and well-drawn than the female ones. While there are a couple (or at least one) unequivocally good male character, there are no female characters unalloyed by foolishness, shrewishness, shallowness, or cupidity.
Also, there was one extremely odd passage having to do with lesbianism, that went out of its way to explain that no one even thought about it in the Victorian era. The passage, and the idea, struck me as not only false, but tellingly so. Someone who could write that either isn't comfortable with the idea of homosexuality as an inborn trait (as is borne out by the scientific literature) or merely isn't comfortable with the idea of women not needing men at all. Perhaps neither of these is true and it's just a clumsily written section, but it struck a discordant note for me that I couldn't quite forgive.
However, even that discordance aside, I very much enjoyed reading the book and plan to read his others.
This gripping read is the best piece of meta-fiction I've ever encountered and a massive literary accomplishment.
The French Lieutenant's Woman is an engrossing page-turner and the rare novel with an ending fitting of such a wildly creative and intelligent story. The narrator toys with the reader by discussing plot paths, going as far as expressing concern that the story might be slipping away from him. Fowles playfulness is dark and effective fun. There is no overt, cheesy, fourth wall breaking, any and all narrative trickery occurs in the open. It flashes from Victorian writing style and time period, to the mid-twentieth century succinctly.
Much like The Magus, Fowles’ prose is smart, but not so erudite (like some Umberto Eco and Joyce) that a barrier exists to the story.
Highly recommended to fans of emotional thrillers. Also, readers of David Mitchell will encounter subtle traces of Cloud Atlas.
The French Lieutenant's Woman is an engrossing page-turner and the rare novel with an ending fitting of such a wildly creative and intelligent story. The narrator toys with the reader by discussing plot paths, going as far as expressing concern that the story might be slipping away from him. Fowles playfulness is dark and effective fun. There is no overt, cheesy, fourth wall breaking, any and all narrative trickery occurs in the open. It flashes from Victorian writing style and time period, to the mid-twentieth century succinctly.
Much like The Magus, Fowles’ prose is smart, but not so erudite (like some Umberto Eco and Joyce) that a barrier exists to the story.
Highly recommended to fans of emotional thrillers. Also, readers of David Mitchell will encounter subtle traces of Cloud Atlas.
3.75 or so... Would be a good book club discussion - especially regarding the narrator's interludes and alternative story lines.
Well this was great. A nineteen sixties book set in the eighteen sixties, and making no pretense about that. The metafictional stuff worked (for once), and the story itself was engrossing. The writing was a bit hard-going to begin with, but once I got used to convoluted sentences and embedded sub(sub)clauses, it was really quite beautiful - sort of intentionally old-fashioned, but with a modern sensibility. A postmodern novel with real warmth and feeling, not just intellectual masturbation.