A review by patrick_dale91
The Magus by John Fowles

4.0

What a bonkers read. It's a story that has almost eveurthing: love, adventure, philosophy, morality, psychology, revenge; I could go on. Our main character, Nicolas Urfe, a narcisstic young twenty something, has become disillusioned with English life and so seeks adventure on a Greek island. And he finds it from the elusive Conchis, an elusive, rich islander who begins inviting Nicolas to his house and seemingly begins to play elaborate games with him, involving supposed actors. It can occasionally feel like being on an acid trip, it really is a roller coaster of a ride, being romantic one minute, absurd the next, philosophical after that. And fuck me did it make me want to go to a Greek island: I could visualise it all so well. I wonder if this is quite a male read as well: a mysterious, beautiful girl on a gorgeous island; I would imagine this pulls at the deepest desires of a lot of males. I suppose my biggest flaw is that it's unpredictability became predictable; for instance, it was clear to even my naive eyes that -SPOILER ALERT- Alison was still alive. But that he held the madness together is testament to his skills as a writer. What Fowles' book to read next I wonder?