| This is Fowles's obvious attempt to write the Great Novel. Daniel Martin, a middle-aged British writer not unlike Fowles, lives in California, writes screenplays, and has a young girlfriend, when word comes from England that an old friend is dying and wants to see him. Martin had been alienated from that circle because he once wrote and staged a play that his friends felt unfairly depicted them. In addition, he had a romantic encounter with his friend's future wife when they were all at Oxford. Martin must journey -- back to England, back into his past -- to make peace and move forward. The novel travels from the pueblo country of the American Southwest to the desert monuments of the ancient Egyptians; it switches back and forth, unaccountably, between first and third person; there are wondrous depictions of the hero's farming childhood right out of Thomas Hardy, and a gorgeous chapter about young first love called "Phillida" ... but it's a slow, stately book which reminds me of Virginia Woolf's remark about _Middlemarch_: it's a novel for grownups. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1980's-1999 Romance/Romance Problems Yes Kind of romance: Internal struggle/realization? Yes Struggle over Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Coping with loss of loved one(s) Yes Loss of... Lover is Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Main Adversary Identity: - Female Age: - 40's-50's How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 () United States Yes The US: - West Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Desert? Yes City? Yes Farm/Ranch? Yes Small town? Yes Writing Style Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references only - descript of kissing - actual description of hetero sex Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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