Kirkus Style Review: 

The Magus by John Fowles (1965)

A young man runs away from a relationship in England, only to end up on a Greek island in the midst of a life-changing mystery. 

Nicholas Urfe, looking for a way out of a relationship he just can't seem to commit to, takes on a job teaching English at an all boys private school on the island of Phraxos in Greece. Urfe is on the island for a few weeks before discovering a beach while out exploring. On the beach are a pair of flippers, a towel, and one of his favorite books full of annotations. Hoping the items were left by a beautiful woman, Urfe sticks around only to find out they belong to a Greek man in his sixties named Maurice Conchis who owns a home a little ways from the beach. Conchis is very wealthy with many possessions to show off (paintings, statues, land). He invites Urfe to stay with him on weekends and to tell him the story of his life which is a whole other novel in itself. The mysteries begin with Urfe's weekend visits. He is introduced to Conchis' long dead fiancé seemingly brought back to life, only to be told she is a young woman with schizophrenia that Conchis, a former doctor, is treating. After Urfe meets the woman's twin sister, suddenly they are actors, then later psychologists themselves. The twists keep coming and they don't stop, and they're all centered around Conchis and his yarns he spins to Urfe each weekend until the yarns begin to affect his everyday life and not just his Saturdays and Sundays. 

A novel with some dated references and a bit long winded, but will keep you on your toes and feeling all the emotions for Urfe. 

Comments

  1. BC RunionFebruary 15, 2020 at 7:06 AM

    Arianna, this book sounds intriguing, and like a mystery wrapped up in some paranormal or magical realism. I will have to check it out. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Erin CataldiFebruary 18, 2020 at 8:45 AM

    There's a lot going on in this novel but you did a great job writing a concise summary and a killer opening and closing line. Definitely Kirkus worthy! Full points!

    ReplyDelete

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