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diana_eveline 's review for:
The French Lieutenant's Woman
by John Fowles
“It is only when our characters and events begin to disobey us that they begin to live.”
And so they did! Fowles releases his characters and tells an epic story that begins with a woman, Sarah, seemingly trapped in melancholic mourning for a lover who abandoned her. Charles, a gentleman of the nobility, takes pity on her and becomes her secret confidant. As their bond grows stronger, Charles finds himself increasingly pulling away from Ernestina, his fiance. Secrets are revealed and Sarah's sanity is brought into question. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, Charles risks it all for love.
This book was an incredibly wild ride. It seemed a very typical Victorian story at first, though sometimes unexpected interrupted by a very intrusive narrator that discusses contemporary movements and Victorian ethics. At some point, I really did feel that the characters somehow existed outside the field of influence of the author and I was shocked to find it, because that is simply impossible. I am not sure how he has done that but it is very impressive. It is like the story breathes and leads a life of its own. He is just there to tell it as it happens.
The three endings are also quite a feat, the first one being typically Victorian in its convential "happy-marriage" narrative. But the last two are so heartbreaking, each in their own way so painful. I thought the foreshadowing of Charles playing with Sarah's (the prostitute) baby was wonderfully done, as he does it in the exact same way but the truth then becomes painfully clear. The sadness he felt over that child not having a father falls on him, because his child also did not have him to look to. There is a slight promise there of something better, which I liked better than the final ending. It really touched me and I'll remember this book for a long time from now. It reminded me a little bit of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, which makes sense as they are both Neo-Victorian. The writing for this one, though, is tougher to get into but so immensely rewarding once you have invested in it.
And so they did! Fowles releases his characters and tells an epic story that begins with a woman, Sarah, seemingly trapped in melancholic mourning for a lover who abandoned her. Charles, a gentleman of the nobility, takes pity on her and becomes her secret confidant. As their bond grows stronger, Charles finds himself increasingly pulling away from Ernestina, his fiance. Secrets are revealed and Sarah's sanity is brought into question. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, Charles risks it all for love.
This book was an incredibly wild ride. It seemed a very typical Victorian story at first, though sometimes unexpected interrupted by a very intrusive narrator that discusses contemporary movements and Victorian ethics. At some point, I really did feel that the characters somehow existed outside the field of influence of the author and I was shocked to find it, because that is simply impossible. I am not sure how he has done that but it is very impressive. It is like the story breathes and leads a life of its own. He is just there to tell it as it happens.
The three endings are also quite a feat, the first one being typically Victorian in its convential "happy-marriage" narrative. But the last two are so heartbreaking, each in their own way so painful. I thought the foreshadowing of Charles playing with Sarah's (the prostitute) baby was wonderfully done, as he does it in the exact same way but the truth then becomes painfully clear. The sadness he felt over that child not having a father falls on him, because his child also did not have him to look to. There is a slight promise there of something better, which I liked better than the final ending. It really touched me and I'll remember this book for a long time from now. It reminded me a little bit of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, which makes sense as they are both Neo-Victorian. The writing for this one, though, is tougher to get into but so immensely rewarding once you have invested in it.