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A review by novelomatelo47
The Collector by John Fowles
4.0
Dang. How on earth was the original author not a serial killer? The first half (?) of the book is told from the perspective of our psychopath, and it's the most fascinating and unnerving thing I've read. I've always questioned folks who express interest in serial killers and the like, and never read any of the books on Manson or Bundy, but the perspective of Frederick seems like it could have been written by one of those killers. His detachment, mental gymnastics, and horrible obsession made for fascinating reading that I found difficult to put down.
I began researching the book after roughly 100 pages and of course stumbled onto spoilers online. The spoiler wasn't at all surprising, but I was so drawn into the book I was energized to finish more quickly. I usually lose interest if the Internet spoilers it for me (Red Dead Redemption) but I ended up more energized to finish the book. I needed to see what horrible logic Fowles put into Frederick's head.
Miranda's section of the book wasn't as fascinating. It did a great job fleshing her out as a young woman suffering an unimaginable horror, and helped humanize her, but I found myself skimming a lot. Her gradual physical and mental decline was terribly difficult to imagine, and I found myself in despair as she wasted away.
Brenna's review here goes into the metaphors and deeper meaning of the book, and it was helpful in understanding the "Why" this was written and what it represents. I'm not blessed with that level of understanding, but I closed this book every night feeling affected by the content. It's a tremendous thriller and I'd recommend it. Read it!
I began researching the book after roughly 100 pages and of course stumbled onto spoilers online. The spoiler wasn't at all surprising, but I was so drawn into the book I was energized to finish more quickly. I usually lose interest if the Internet spoilers it for me (Red Dead Redemption) but I ended up more energized to finish the book. I needed to see what horrible logic Fowles put into Frederick's head.
Miranda's section of the book wasn't as fascinating. It did a great job fleshing her out as a young woman suffering an unimaginable horror, and helped humanize her, but I found myself skimming a lot. Her gradual physical and mental decline was terribly difficult to imagine, and I found myself in despair as she wasted away.
Brenna's review here goes into the metaphors and deeper meaning of the book, and it was helpful in understanding the "Why" this was written and what it represents. I'm not blessed with that level of understanding, but I closed this book every night feeling affected by the content. It's a tremendous thriller and I'd recommend it. Read it!