| Name | David Loftus |
| Title | Top (six star) Scholar
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| Total Reviews |
592 |
| 1. Favorite book and why? |
_The French Lieutenant's Woman_ does it all. It's a wonderful love story, a novel of ideas (from Darwinism and Marxism to self-conscious narratives -- the author/narrator or his sly stand-in makes several appearances in the course of this Victorian story), and a terrific portrait of an era (Victorian England) and a place (Lyme Regis, the tiny village on the coast of south-central England where Fowles lives). By comparison, _The Magus_ is a three ring circus of a book: dazzling, lovable, but also sloppy and and a bit adolescent (as Fowles himself has admitted).
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| 2. Least favorite book and why? |
My least favorite would be _Mantissa_, which is a rather long, extended joke about the creative process and literary criticism that Fowles wrote for friends and wasn't really enthused about circulating publicly until his publishers insisted.
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| 3. Favorite scene in favorite book and why? |
Gosh, that's a tough one. There are so many! Perhaps when Charles meets Sarah in a hotel -- it's sexy but it's also the crisis of the book.
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| 4. Favorite character and why? |
I assume this means favorite character in Fowles's books. Could be Nicholas in _The Magus_ because I identify the most with him (at least I used to!), or Sarah in _The French Lieutenant's Woman_ because she is so mysterious and compelling.
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| 5. Which character do you identify most with and why? |
I did say above that I identified with Nick once upon a time, but I don't think I do much anymore. I once did because I saw myself as literary and sensitive and a lover of women, which is how he saw himself, and Fowles skillfully manipulates the reader to identify with Nick. I don't identify with him much anymore; he's definitely literary and sensitive and a lover of women, and so am I, but in different ways, I suppose. I don't know that I identify with anyone in Fowles novels anymore ... or in any other novels, offhand; I just like seeing into their lives.
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| 6. If you could see a sequel to one of the author's books, which would it
be and what would it be about? |
The only book that readily appears to have a sequel in it is _The Collector_, whose ending anticipates a future, but it would be unrewarding. Perhaps a sequel to _A Maggot_ would be more interesting, but that's partly because I find _A Maggot_ itself so confusing and uncertain. I want more!
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| 7. What do you like about author's writing style? |
It is very thoughtful and beautifully worded. Fowles picks the right words for the job. He labors hard for accurate, believable dialogue, and his plots offer plenty of opportunities for deeper thinking about life, love, death, society, and what truly matters. They're not just damn good stories ... although they are that, too.
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| 8. What are your favorite themes of this author? |
Freedom and autonomy ... what one's responsibilities may be to oneself and to others ... how the past (historic and personal) affects and lives on in the present and future ... the richness and rewards of nature ...
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| 9. What could be most improved about this authors books? |
Fowles could perhaps hide his sympathies, his earnestness, a little more than he sometimes does.
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| Something about yourself |
I read while walking from one place to another, and while flossing my teeth.
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Book Reviews
Click on a book below to see my review of it. |
The French Lieutenant's Woman
The Collector
Daniel Martin
The Magus
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Other Authors
whose books I've reviewed |
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