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laurenjpegler 's review for:
The French Lieutenant's Woman
by John Fowles
Honestly, I think this is the best post-modern novel I've ever read. I love this genre of literature so much because it's so aware, so playful, and so intrusive. I love Fowles will break the narrative to give us a history lesson on Victorian sexuality, or how he isn't a god of this creation. It's so just fun. I love how the narrator is so aware of the fact that all of this is A) not real and B) being told from hindsight. Also, the three alternative endings was really cool. I like how we can pick how the story ended.
I also really love this as a neo-Victorian novel. It feels authentic - very reminiscent of the likes of Eliot. He is able to explore things that were taboo in Victorian society in a way that is modern, but also so true to the style he is imitating. I think the book was brilliant in those two cases.
However, saying that, I found the plot so boring. Nothing really happened, which is fine, to a certain degree, but it was just so long. I found the relationship between Sarah and Charles to be so false. It wasn't explored fully, so I wasn't convinced by it at all. Fowles could have used some of the time he spent talking about nothing to make some chemistry between these two characters.
Anyway, excited to study this in my seminar this semester!
I also really love this as a neo-Victorian novel. It feels authentic - very reminiscent of the likes of Eliot. He is able to explore things that were taboo in Victorian society in a way that is modern, but also so true to the style he is imitating. I think the book was brilliant in those two cases.
However, saying that, I found the plot so boring. Nothing really happened, which is fine, to a certain degree, but it was just so long. I found the relationship between Sarah and Charles to be so false. It wasn't explored fully, so I wasn't convinced by it at all. Fowles could have used some of the time he spent talking about nothing to make some chemistry between these two characters.
Anyway, excited to study this in my seminar this semester!