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The French Lieutenant's Woman
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Plot Summary of The French Lieutenant's Woman
"Charles Smithson, a fairly intelligent Victorian gentleman engaged to marry a respectable young thing, becomes fascinated by a dark-haired beauty who stands on a breakwater and stares out to sea. Thinking perhaps to help Sarah out of her misery, he falls deeply into her secrets and mystery. I have described him as protagonist and her as antagonist mainly because we see things mostly from his point of view, though she is the center of the narrative. This classic Victorian love story is couched within a post-modern, self-conscious meditation on authentic existence, evolution, and Marxism. Fowles also takes brief essay-like excursions into Victorian sex mores, the wonders of wild nature, and other historical topics. The ideas never overwhelm the plot, but merely offer themselves as extra cream for the discriminating reader to enjoy. And the book has three different endings!"
David Loftus, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The French Lieutenant's Woman
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - upbeat
Time/era of story - 19th century
Romance/Romance Problems Yes
Kind of romance: - GENERAL--no other subplots apply
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Lover is - of a different social class

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - wealthy
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - servant
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 (a good amount)
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Mountains/Cliffs Yes
Mountains: - climbing on trails
Water? Yes
Small town? Yes

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to The French Lieutenant's Woman
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Shirley by Charlotte Bronte


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John Fowles Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
David Loftus  

SCHOLARS:
Juan Galis-Menendez  Susan T, Smith  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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