In "The French Lieutenant's Woman," John Fowles masterfully plunges readers into 19th century Victorian England, exploring social customs, sexual taboos, and moral attitudes through the characters of Charles Smithson and Sarah Woodruff. The novel is a blend of historical dramatic fiction set in the late 19th century in England, written with touches of 20th-century metafiction, where the author cleverly critiques his Victorian protagonists from a modern perspective. Fowles presents a complex narrative with multiple possible endings, challenging the reader's perception of free will, evolution, and societal norms.
The story follows Charles Smithson, a Victorian gentleman engaged to Ernestina, who becomes fascinated with Sarah Woodruff, a mysterious woman rumored to be the spurned ex-mistress of a French naval officer. Through Fowles' unique narrative style, which combines elements of the Victorian era with 20th-century commentary, readers are taken on a journey of love, betrayal, societal expectations, and personal identity, all set against the backdrop of a changing world and conflicting values.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Potential triggers include discussions of mental health, social ostracism, and the subjugation of women in a patriarchal society.
Has Romance?
The romance element is prominent, particularly within the love triangle and the emotional tension between Charles and Sarah.
From The Publisher:
Widely acclaimed since publication, John Fowles' most beloved novel is the ultimate epic historical romance.
Charles Smithson, a respectable engaged man, meets Sarah Woodruff as she stands on the Cobb at Lyme Regis, staring out to sea. Charles falls in love, but Sarah is a disgraced woman, and their romance will defy all the stifling conventions of the Victorian age.
Ratings (9)
Incredible (4) | |
Loved It (1) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (1) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (17):
Read It (9) | |
Want To Read (5) | |
Not Interested (3) |
1 comment(s)
This novel....is not a romance. I reject that this novel is about a love triangle. To summarize it that way is to miss out on the importance of what Fowles is saying about the Victorian v. the modern mind.
Fowles shows us a traditional Victorian romance with Charles, an early-thirties baronet who dabbles in naturalism, and Ernestina, the shallow, selfish daughter of a wealthy tradesman. Sarah Woodruff, the French lieutenant's "woman" (or whore), breaks into the middle of this relationship simply by seeing through it. From the start Fowles emphasizes the power of Sarah's gaze: when she looks at Charles, he feels totally exposed. Her gaze is enough to make him realize the farce of Victorian romance and their actual way of life.
At the same time, Fowles talks about 20th century people and how they differ from the Victorians. Sarah serves as the bridge between the sex-crazed but constantly in denial Victorians and the sex-crazed and okay with it people of today. As a fallen woman, she has gone so far outside the lines that she doesn't feel the need to play the same game as everyone else. Such is the nature of her mystery that Charles is constantly drawn to: she sees the truth.
I love the way Fowles plays with the notion of a narrator, of how a writer uses or is used by characters, and what the actual "end" of the story is. This isn't a great Victorian romance a la Austen or Bronte (pick your favorite sister); it's a meditation on Victorian life and how we have created our own world today.
What can you read after
The French Lieutenant's Woman?
About the Author:
John Fowles was born in 1926. He won international recognition with The Collector, his first published title, in 1963. He was immediately acclaimed as an outstandingly innovative writer of exceptional imaginative power, and this reputation was confirmed with the appearance of his subsequent works: The Aristos, The Magus, The French Lieutenant's Woman, The Ebony Tower, Daniel Martin, Mantissa, and A Maggot. John Fowles died in Lyme Regis in 2005. Two volumes of his Journals have recently been published; the first in 2003, the second in 2006.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
