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A review by lexish00
The Magus by John Fowles
4.0
Recommendation first: If there was an abridged version of this book I would without a doubt recommend it. It is certainly a unique story and quite interesting at parts, but it is also HUGE and somewhat hard to follow. So, if you have some time on your hands and enjoy the romantic style then jump right in. You're in for an interesting ride.
This book makes me want to curse a little. I mean, honestly, WTF! The first few hundred pages were so slow and meandering that I felt like I myself was lost on a Greek island. Sometimes it was beautiful, sometimes it was boring. Then the strange workings of Conchis were underfoot and things got interesting fast. When I got to the true reveal, the trial, etc., it was just devastatingly confusing and satisfying. It felt like a freefall. I even admit that I liked the ambiguous ending, and I certainly like to believe that our young couple remained broken up, went separate ways, never spoke again, and were immensely better for it!
I actually really enjoyed the reveal. I wish there was more explanation of the "why." My favorite character was actually Jojo (though I quite enjoyed June and Julie as well). Jojo was not only a pretty plot point, but also felt like a whole, honest character who brought Nick back into reality.
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ETA: Apparently not everyone agrees the ending is ambiguous! Ah well, it is my belief that if the "true" ending is one of a romantic get-back-together, then it is somewhat trite. But hey we all have opinions. Good job, John Fowles, on writing a book that causes so many emotions to bubble up.
This book makes me want to curse a little. I mean, honestly, WTF! The first few hundred pages were so slow and meandering that I felt like I myself was lost on a Greek island. Sometimes it was beautiful, sometimes it was boring. Then the strange workings of Conchis were underfoot and things got interesting fast. When I got to the true reveal, the trial, etc., it was just devastatingly confusing and satisfying. It felt like a freefall. I even admit that I liked the ambiguous ending, and I certainly like to believe that our young couple remained broken up, went separate ways, never spoke again, and were immensely better for it!
I actually really enjoyed the reveal. I wish there was more explanation of the "why." My favorite character was actually Jojo (though I quite enjoyed June and Julie as well). Jojo was not only a pretty plot point, but also felt like a whole, honest character who brought Nick back into reality.
--
ETA: Apparently not everyone agrees the ending is ambiguous! Ah well, it is my belief that if the "true" ending is one of a romantic get-back-together, then it is somewhat trite. But hey we all have opinions. Good job, John Fowles, on writing a book that causes so many emotions to bubble up.