The French Lieutenant's Woman by John FowlesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first read this a quarter century ago and it still captivates. the first time the epigraphs that struck me I thought were those of Matthew Arnold and Tennyson's Maud. I find Clough's actually stuck with me the most. chapters 54 and 57 the "bitter north" wind and "devil take the hindmost". those drawn on Marx and Darwin and the protagonist's amateur paleontology tells me the next reading may reveal a sociological dimension whereas I still am fascinated with the tragic enigma of Sara Woodruff. i really like how Fowles breaks through the literary fourth wall to comment and make a came on on the train.
For dialogue, Fowles' characters are rooted in the 1860s, which sent me looking up archaic phrases and words. This is fun for me, and also necessary. I would have totally misunderstood a passage if I did not research to find out that "slut's wool" means "dust bunnies".
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment