John Fowles "The Magus"

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This book is so damn good. I finished it in a marathon reading over 3 days. I immediately recommended to everyone I talked to and got at least 5 of my friends to read it -- all of whom loved it.

I know there was a weak movie version of it in the 60's. In fact, Woody Allen was quoted as saying "If there I could do my life over, I wouldn't change a thing, except I wouldn't go see 'he Magus.'" This book is just crying out to be made into a movie.

Anyway, has anyone read it. If so, what are your thoughts?

― James Griffin (hadlex), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Would like to see the film sometime, considering Michael Caine was the star. Anthony Quinn and Anna Karina, too? Hm. Being a '68 film, with the mindgame subject matter, I'm picturing it like the hallucinogenic scenes in "Rosemary's Baby". Plus, considering Woody Allen's peaks and valleys, his scorn doesn't rate highly.

The book's a favorite of mine, too - have read both versions, but not close enough together to describe the revision's strengths over the original.

Going to Greece after reading that book was a trip, in several ways.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 13 February 2004 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I was obsessed with this book for a few months a few years ago, and then hit a wall with it where I was pretty sure I'd figured out what the deal was, and couldn't make myself finish it. Partly because I heard that David Fincher's film "the Game" was inspired by it (and I really like "The Game") so I just felt like I knew where it was going.

Certainly one of the most pretentious books I've ever read, with a narrator that really rubbed me the wrong way. Whatever happened to Fowles? I kind of feel like he peaked with The Collector and everything after was a bit of a mess, but actually I haven't finished ANY of his other books, so I don't know.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 13 February 2004 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I read this book AGES ago and remember I really loved it. Has anyone read 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'?

Val

― Val Phillips (valpal), Saturday, 14 February 2004 09:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I found "The Magus" too slick and portentous, but I thought "The French Lieutenant's Woman" was a masterpiece (weak film, though). The first half of "The Collector" was compelling, in my opinion, but I didn't like the second half, where the girl takes over as the narrator,. "Daniel Martin" has some brilliant scenes but also some dreary stuff about a film director who is boffing twin sisters. That's all I've read of Fowles.

― All Bunged Up. (Jake Proudlock), Saturday, 14 February 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Hrm.
I just finished this book on a trip to Mexico. It was keen to be able to read about a fellow living in Greece in roughly similar climates. Especially when the folks back home were cold and miserable. Hee hee. Anyhow, I *liked* the book, but didn't really feel *compelled* by the book. I quite enjoyed the first two-thirds of it, and I loved the mind games going on, without explanation. I didn't much like the ending...which is to say...everything after the bizarre neo-satanic ritual.

However, I've only just read the revised version; perhaps the original version is more cohesive and compact.

Meh. It was *good*, but not *great*. I much preferred "The French Lieutenant's woman".

― cenobyte, Sunday, 15 February 2004 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I really enjoyed reading 'The Magus', which compelled me to read some of Fowles' other books. I read 'The Collector', but didn't enjoy it as much. And frankly, I didn't finish 'The French Lieutentant's Woman'. There was something about that book that annoyed me. But I still love 'The Magus'.

― bookdwarf (bookdwarf), Monday, 16 February 2004 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

my big problem with this book is the attitude. the protagonist has his life turned into a full on lib-arts fever dream and somehow it's not fun for him, or us. naked greeks! victorian hotties! nazis! swedes! live it up fucker, what's wrong with you?

i read this ages ago and when i was done i chucked it across the room. i wish it were written by an american, or an italian, anyone else

― g--ff (gcannon), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I enjoyed the Maus alot although i felt it could have been maybe half or 2 thirds of the lengths as i got the point that Nicholas's perspective was constantly having to be re-evaluated long before the final twists, especially when he got back to England.
The book was enjoyable but i also felt it was trying to be confusing for confusion's sake and the story suffered as a consequence. However, i was fully engrossed and was happy to keep reading but i would now not read any other John Fowles books because i was really really REALLY annoyed that the novel finished with a latin quoter which was as incomprehensible as it was pretencious.

― adoni P, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 08:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved the mystery and erotic tension and everything, but I thought the ending was kind of a letdown. Maybe the resolution of mystery always is, I don't know.

Has anyone read A Maggot? That's the only other Fowles book I've read. Quite odd.

― spittle (spittle), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 05:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm reading this book now..I miss some 100 pages and I can't stop reading it!! So this is a direct impression, absolutely non-objective evaluation of the story.. I went to search for some comments as I need to share my feelings on this book and the only person I know who read it is the one I don't want to talk to anymore. well, I feel breathless, and I am starting to get pissed off at Fowles because it seems like he puts us readers in a spyral, that is to say a never-ending search for truth...this book is getting me too thirsty, just as Nicholas, I feel Conchis owes an explanation and I am starting to be afraid that I'll be left out without one; still, I must say this is an astonishing piece of literature; I'll catch you later,
ari
PS can anyone tell me if the film is worth to be seen? If you think about a re-make which actors would you like to see playing in it?

― Ari, Wednesday, 31 March 2004 09:21 (twenty-one years ago)

the film is impossible to see, from what I know, it wasn't ever on vhs, isn't on dvd, and may only occasionally pop up on cable or something. apparently it's bad but maybe has some kitsch factor.

The Game was kind of an (uncredited) film version of the novel, to a degree.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 22:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw the film on television ages ago. It's not good. As for the book, I was intrigued when I read it as a teenager - not sure what I'd think now, I'd probably be harsher. I must have another look at it.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Thursday, 1 April 2004 08:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm a Sr. Cit., who grew-up working w/my Mother for a Major H/wd.
Studio. Because of my Movies/Theatre background, I decided to Sell
Old(e) Movies on VHS. I deal mainly w/"rare, obscure, hard-to-find
Foreign, "Black," Silents-1949 Films." My Clients are Srs., Librar-
ies, Authors doing Research on the olde H/wd., & its Stars. I DO have
a VHS of, "The Magus," w/Anthony Quinn, Michael Caine, & Candace Ber-
gen. To Order a copy, go to my URL: blsinc.com/partners/bloomberg.
htm/ download the appropriate "Want List" Form, fill it out, snail-
mail it to me, w/#10 SASE, &, I'll reply asap. For faster Svc., write
or call me @: Sidney P. Bloomberg, 735 Taylor St., #306, San Francisco, CA 94108-3807, 1-415-931-3676. Pls. remember, Tape IS in
the NTSC(VHS) mode, NOT PAL, or DVD. RSVP. Thanx.

― Sidney P. Bloomberg, Friday, 9 April 2004 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

"A Maggot" is my favorite novel ever.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 16 April 2004 07:01 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

apparently his diaries are very funny. He thinks his neighbours are weak-minded fools because they invited him in for a game of Scrabble. I think this is code for "They stuffed my arse at Scrabble".

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

an absolutely withering review of Fowles' diaries

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 20 May 2004 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

haha search: ian sansom on fowles!!!

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 21 May 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

do you reckon maybe his diaries are some kind of complicated "unreliable narrator" joke?

― DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 21 May 2004 21:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I immensely enjoyed French Lieutenant's Woman and thought that The Collector was really good. The Magus is the next on my list.

Fowles writes so beautifully that I sometimes found myself reading sentences again in F L's W. Heh.

― Mikhail Capone (Mikhail Capone), Thursday, 27 May 2004 23:25 (twenty-one years ago)

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