Group Read, November 2015: The Collector

Our Group Read for November is John Fowles The Collector. Please join us and put any thoughts and comments on this thread.

oh blinkin' 'eck... I forgot all about this. And, ahem, I nominated it.

Have to root around for it this evening and get a move on.

Wow.... That's one of creepiest books I've read in a long time. What a fantastic debut novel. I'm off to bed (perchance to sheep) now, but I'll be back with some thoughts soon.

Sounds promising. I'll also start one of these days.

So... after some time for reflection: this is a hard novel to describe without giving stuff away. I'll do my best. Fred is one of the creepiest characters you'll read. Definitely has to be the inspiration for Anthony Hopkin's portrayal in Silence of the Lambs... at least that's how he came across to me. Totally clinical, no feeling at all.

About halfway through, the novel looked like it was going to end. Then, just as I was wondering where the novel was going to go, it surprised me. The new viewpoint provides a fascinating juxtaposition of characters and very much changed my sympathies. It made me wonder about the moralities of the temptation to judge people that we face every day.

And the ending... oh... I didn't want it to end that way.

Isn't this a film? It would be terrific.

Such a shame I have to work. I am halfway through, at the point where the viewpoint changes. Your description of it makes me want to read on and on. What a creepy novel!

The novel was adapted as a feature film by the same name in 1965. The screenplay was by Stanley Mann and John Kohn, and it was directed by William Wyler. (He turned down The Sound of Music to do it). It starred Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar. Says Wiki.

I'm about 2/3rds through, middle of the second part, and not sure how it will pan out. The first part reminded me a bit of Lolita in that you have a criminally obsessed man narrating without any sense of guilt or justification. I preferred this to the second section so far which seems to digress significantly from the central drama. I assume/hope it will all come together soon.

>8 puckers: Interesting that the first part reminded you of Lolita. I kept thinking of Felicia's Journey.

>8 puckers:, >9 Simone2: I, too, was thinking of Lolita (content) and also of Nabokov (butterfly collecting) and wondered it if it was intentional or coincidence.

I was a bit hesitant about this book before I started but it was a really good read - different to what I expected from the description and was not expecting the ending.

Its really creepy...

I actually listened to it on an audiobook and it really added to the experience as the narrator was excellent. I read a few chapters about 1/3 the way through and went back and listened to them instead as I preferred the audiobook.

>11 Jan_1: Oh, I bet that was interesting! Who narrated?

>12ELiz_ M James Wilby narrated - has an English acccent, just felt like I was listening to the main character

Lolita didn't come to mind actually. Funny because I read that less than a year ago. Maybe it's because Nabokov's prose is far, far superior to Fowles', despite his brilliance. Lolita has a warm, vibrant feel to it. There's nothing warm and vibrant here.

>14 arukiyomi: I had the same. I loved Lolita but it didn't come to mind either. I wondered why after people mentioning it here and I realised it is because Humbert Humbert's mind is working so intelligent and captive (if that is the right word). I guess you can indeed explain that by Nabokov's superb prose, although I love this Fowles as well.

I haven't finished The Collector yet though, so maybe I'll have a different opinion afterwards.

I was also reminded Felicia's Journey (creepy socially isolated bachelor) though it has a much longer build up to the point where the intentions are clear to the other party.

Agree that Lolita is a far better read. What I meant is that for me both books get in to the head of someone who's obsession leads to criminal activity that the criminal doesn't really have any remorse about. In both cases (if I remember Lolita correctly) both men end up seeing themselves ss manipulated by the victim.

Anyway I finished the book and liked the ending. Worth an extra creepy half star for that.

Wonderful book.... so glad it was picked as a group read. I was expecting something more along the lines of butterfly collector with an unrequited love.... more aking to The French Lieutenant's Woman so I was surprised once the book got going.

Good creep factor and hard to put down... I look forward to reading more by Fowles.

I finished it and have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the end. I liked the first part so much. I also liked the diary but I kept looking forward to hearing Fred again whose thoughts I found so much more interesting. When he finally came up again it was over too soon and abruptly.

Man, that Fowles with only words get me to this point where I do kind of sympathize with Fred, feel sorry for him. The Stockholm-syndrom in 280 pages.

Great read.

Anyone else read Fowles' The Magus?

No not yet, just The French Lieutenant's Wife, which I thought is completely different. How is The Magus?

it's like a very mature version of The Collector... that is in terms of the writing. And there are more twists and turns than an elephant's intestines. I really enjoyed it and felt like it took all the themes from the collector to a new level of lit.