John Fowles's 1969 novel The French Lieutenants Woman has become a modern classic but it is a complex novel and can be daunting to study. This accessible guide offers detailed readings of the text as well as accounts of Fowles's influences and the context of the novel's composition. It also discusses Fowles's manipulation of the story's Victorian setting and source material, and his treatment of key themes such as gender, sexuality and social class. It addresses the reviews and critical reception of the novel, and offers study suggestions and a guide to further reading. A separate section...

An original study of John Fowles, combining a clear overview of his work with detailed critical readings and new and challenging theoretical perspectives. This original study divides John Fowles's work into three chronological phases, making sense of his development as a novelist, essayist and thinker. As well as discussing Fowles in the light of his literary predecessors such as Hardy, Defoe and Scott, William Stephenson examines the key biographical influences on Fowles's writing, including his travels abroad and his experience of the natural world. Through an examination of Fowles's...

An original study of John Fowles, combining a clear overview of his work with detailed critical readings and new and challenging theoretical perspectives. This original study divides John Fowles's work into three chronological phases, making sense of his development as a novelist, essayist and thinker. As well as discussing Fowles in the light of his literary predecessors such as Hardy, Defoe and Scott, William Stephenson examines the key biographical influences on Fowles's writing, including his travels abroad and his experience of the natural world. Through an examination of Fowles's...