I feel I’ve been making a lot of progress with my Classics Club list recently. I have just finished two books from the list – one by Thomas Mann and another by Robert Louis Stevenson – but before I tell you about either of those, I wanted to post my thoughts on a book I read almost a month ago. It has taken me a while to motivate myself to write about The French Lieutenant’s Woman because I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to say. I didn’t dislike it but I certainly didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would or as I feel I should have done.
The story is set in the 1860s in the English coastal town of Lyme Regis (which Jane Austen readers will know as the place where Louisa Musgrove fell down the steps in Persuasion). Sarah Woodruff, the ‘woman’ of the title, spends her days standing alone on The Cobb, the town’s harbour wall, staring out to sea. Nicknamed ‘Tragedy’ by the people of Lyme, Sarah is considered to be a disgraced woman following a brief relationship with a French naval officer who abandoned her and married another woman on his return to France.
Charles Smithson, who is staying in the town with his fiancée Ernestina Freeman, encounters Sarah while out walking one day and is intrigued when he is told about her background. The more he learns about Sarah, the more fascinated he becomes, but as he is still engaged to Ernestina, he will soon be faced with making some important decisions.
The French Lieutenant’s Woman is an unusual novel and I can definitely understand its appeal. Published in 1969 but set in 1867, there are times when it feels almost like an authentic Victorian novel and others when the author intrudes into the story to make an observation from a very contemporary perspective. In John Fowles’ own words:
“You are not trying to write something one of the Victorian novelists forgot to write; but perhaps something one of them failed to write. And: Remember the etymology of the word. A novel is something new. It must have relevance to the writer’s now – so don’t ever pretend you live in 1867; or make sure the reader knows it’s a pretence.”
This novel, then, is a mixture of old and new. It’s a book about the Victorian period – the culture, the science and literature, the conventions of society – as well as a book set in the Victorian period. The author (or the narrator – it’s difficult to distinguish between the two) plays an important role in the story, giving us his opinions of the characters and their actions, and even appearing as a character himself later in the novel. And this, I think, is probably why I had a problem with the book. It doesn’t bother me at all when a Victorian author stops to talk directly to the reader – Anthony Trollope in particular uses that technique a lot and it always seems very natural to me – but when a modern author does it, I don’t think it ever feels quite the same.
In addition to the narrative style, Fowles also incorporates other experimental or postmodern elements. The most intriguing of these, I thought, was his use of alternate endings. He gives us three to choose from: one traditional ‘happy ending’, another which offers some hope, and a third which isn’t very happy at all. By the time I had reached this stage of the novel, I had accepted that I wasn’t going to be drawn into the story emotionally and had no real preference as to how the story should end, so I found it interesting to read all of the endings and think about which might have been the most likely.
I don’t want to sound too negative about this book. I loved the early chapters, particularly the memorable opening scenes where we see for the first time the lonely figure of Sarah gazing out to sea, and I also enjoyed the subplot involving Charles’ servant, Sam, and Mary, Ernestina’s aunt’s maid. I’m sure The French Lieutenant’s Woman must be a fascinating book to study at university or to discuss with a group, but when I’m reading for pleasure I prefer a novel that I can lose myself in, rather than one like this where I am constantly being pulled out of the story. Despite this, I did like John Fowles’ writing and would be happy to try more of his books, but maybe someone who has read them can let me know if they are all like this one?
She Reads Novels 
I have started this book twice in the past and never got through it s wanted to comment to beg you to try some of his others. The Magus is one of my favourite books of all time and The Collector would also make my top 20. Those two are seriously brilliant and nothing like TFLW. Would absolutely love to hear what you think about them.
I would like to give John Fowles another chance, so I’ll definitely try one of the two books you mention at some point – probably The Magus, as you’ve recommended it so highly. It’s good to hear from you again, by the way! 🙂
I’ve read The Collector and The Magus and loved both but have always been wary of starting this one, for the reasons you state.
I’m pleased to hear you loved both The Collector and The Magus. I think I probably chose the wrong John Fowles book to start with!
I haven’t heard about this title in a long time.
No, it’s not a book you hear about very often. I have wanted to read it for a long time, though, and am glad I finally have, even if I didn’t like it as much as I’d hoped.
I read this a couple of years ago and the narrator really started to get on my nerves. I guess meta-fiction is not really my thing. I tried to read The Collector but just couldn’t get into it.
I liked the narrative voice at first, but it eventually got on my nerves too. Meta-fiction doesn’t seem to be my thing either!
I read this at age 14 in a high school English class, and I have to admit that what I primarily remember from that reading was all the information about prostitution in Victorian England. I was never inspired to read anything else by John Fowles, but maybe I should.
14 does sound a bit too young to be able to appreciate a book like this! I’m sure you would get more out of his books if you read them as an adult, although I still wouldn’t particularly recommend this one. I like the sound of The Magus so I might try that one next.
I read this a long time ago, and I remember being dazzled at the time because it was like noting else I ever read, but I suspect that the same things that bothered you would bother me if I read it again. I can second the recommendation of The Collector, but none of John Fowles’ other books have ever called me.
I can understand the appeal of this book and I think if I’d read it at a different time of my life I might have been dazzled by it too. I’m disappointed that I didn’t enjoy it more, but I will probably try either The Collector or The Magus and see what I think of those.
I read this years ago and had mixed feelings about it at the time. I was never tempted to read other John Fowles’ novels though I have considered re-reading The French Lieutenant’s Woman to see if it’s any better the second time around.
I hope you enjoy it more than the first time if you do decide to re-read it!
I think I read this ages ago as well, but I have almost no memory of it. I’ve never been tempted to re-read it – which after reading your review, I think it a wise choice!
I want to give John Fowles another chance in the hope that his other books will be more to my taste, but I don’t think I’ll ever want to re-read this one!
I read this years ago, long before I began writing my blog, so I haven’t any proper record of what I thought about it. But I do remember that I liked it – maybe it helped that I’d seen the film before I read the book. I’ve also read The Magus, which fascinated me, although I’m not sure I really understood it. This makes me think I should read it again sometime!
You’ve made The Magus sound very intriguing! I think I’ll have to at least give it a try before I make my mind up about John Fowles.
I haven’t read any Fowles in a very long time, but this was the first book of his I read (back in the Stone Age), and I remember loving it. I think it is more common for postmodernists to make comments directly to the readers than earlier modern writers. It’s part of their general playfulness. I should re-read it sometime. It’s been so long.
I really thought I would love this book too, so I’m disappointed that I didn’t.
Of course, who knows what I would think about it now, 30 or 40 years later!
I haven’t read anything else by Fowles, so I can offer no insight on that point. I also needed a little time after completing this before I could comment. To be honest, it grew on me after I put it down. Very thoughtful review.
My review: http://100greatestnovelsofalltimequest.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-french-lieutenants-woman-by-john.html
I find some books more difficult to review than others and it took me a while to decide what to say about this one. Despite not really enjoying it, it did leave me with a lot to think about even after I’d finished reading it.