Shelfari: The Site for Books & ReadersShelfari Logo

The Magus
 

The Magus

by John Fowles

At the novels center is Nicholas Urfe, a young Englishman who accepts a teaching position on a remote Greek island. There he befriends a local millionaire, but the friendship soon evolves into a deadly game and Nicholas finds that he must fight not only for his sanity but for his very survival. (read review)

Top tags: fiction,  greece,  john fowles,  literature,  magic (all tags)

Readers

Groups

Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Landon
  • Rated 5 stars

“This is the only book I have ever read cover to cover at one sitting. It is not a short book, so that is significant. I began in the late afternoon, read through the night, and finished sometime in the morning the following day. I got hooked on the characters, the principal love story, the unanticipated events that twist and turn in unexpected ways.[br/][br/]The original version of the book had a mystical ending that has kept me tied to this book. For quite a while Fowles was my favorite...”

Landon’s full review »
more reviews »

Didn’t Like It

Julie s
  • Rated 1 stars

“This is the weirdest, most obscure book that I have ever attempted to read, as I did not finish it.”

Julie s’s full review »
more reviews »
Community:
  • Rated 4.275194 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 0 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • Johnnyjay

    johnnyjay said:

    “I believe Fowles identified "Great Expectations" by Dickens as an influence. Kathleen Tarbox wrote a dissertation and brought the similarities to his attention. He said that at one point he toyed with the idea of making the manipulative character a woman.”

    posted Wednesday, March 21 2007
  • merel

    merel said:

    “As for novels, the Secret History had the same atmosphere for me.
    You should see the movie the Game, it's really different but also the same :)”

    posted Thursday, March 15 2007
  • Michael L

    michael l said:

    “You know, I think Anthony Quinn starred in both movies too! Weird.”

    posted Wednesday, March 7 2007
  • harrywhite

    harrywhite said:

    “The Magus is one of my all-time favorite novels. I would say the book most "similar" to The Magus -- though I have not read it -- would be "The Wanderer" by Alain - Fournier ("Le Grand Meaulnes," France, 1913). I had read somewhere that this is the single book that John Fowles stated influenced his best novel, The Magus.”

    posted Monday, March 5 2007
  • Michael L

    michael l said:

    “I agree with others that this book is quite unique. But I do associate it with another novel and that is "Zorba the Greek" by Nikos Kazantzakis. Both books are about younger men being manipulated by older men. Both take place in Greece and both are very well written. ”

    posted Sunday, March 4 2007
© 2008 Tastemakers, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy