The English writer John Fowles is one of the most prominent representatives of postmodernism in literature. His works are honored by intellectuals around the world. But despite the popularity of his books, John Fowles, especially in recent years, lived quite solitary, he could rarely be seen in public.
John Fowles before starting a writing career
John Fowles's date of birth is March 31, 1926. His family was considered very wealthy - his father was a hereditary cigar dealer. The future writer studied at an elite school in Bedford, here he was a headman of the class and was actively involved in sports.
After school, John entered the University of Edinburgh, but did not graduate. He dropped out in 1945 in order to enlist in the Marine Corps. However, after two years, John Fowles understands that he does not like a military career. He decides to devote himself to studying French and German. To do this, he enters Oxford University.
From 1950 to 1963, Fowles taught. One of his places of work was a gymnasium on the island of Spetses (Greece). Being on this island greatly influenced Fowles' further biography. It is here that he begins to write and meets his future wife, Elizabeth.
The main works of Fowles
In 1963, the famous Fowles novel, The Collector, was released. It describes the fate of a worthless, unremarkable clerk named Clegg. Once Clegg wins a large sum in the lottery and kidnaps the young artist Miranda, whom he had been in love with for a long time. Miranda becomes his captive, and then dies. The novel was quite successful. Television people bought the rights to the script for this book before its publication. In the end, this allowed John Fowles to devote himself entirely to the writing profession. In 1964, a book of essays Aristos appeared in bookstores, and two years later the novel Magus was published (it is interesting that in fact it was written earlier than The Collector).
Then came such famous Fowles novels as "The French Lieutenant's Mistress, " "Daniel Martin, " and "Mantissa." The latest in chronology was the novel "Worm" (1986). Many of Fowles' books were taken as the basis for feature films, and this predetermined their commercial success.
