The Magus
by John Fowles · first published 1965
71% recommend29% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Twisting, puzzle-like plot that many readers call a favorite of all time; it opened up fiction for readers in high school and suits anyone who enjoys a mysterious, unsettling novel with big ideas about identity.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A startlingly original novel about a young English graduate who takes a position as a teacher at a private school on a small Greek island. Bored and lonely he spends his free hours wandering alone until he meets a wealthy and mysterious neighbour. Soon he finds himself a victim of this man’s increasingly bizarre psychological games and obsessed with a young woman who may or may not be a willing participant in these games.
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‘The Magus’, by John Fowles. Masterful. I have only read a few chapters but I highly recommend ‘The Beginning of Infinity’ by David Deutsch, it’s just so interesting!
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗"The Magus" by John Fowles
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗In highschool, John Fowles' The Magus [1.] really hit me: its twisting plot and content really opened up the world of fiction and writing for me. Great departure from the typical books in highschool English/Literature classes. William Gibson's…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗…the Rings but it would be several years before I read it. 50 years later I can't actually remember what I read first but over the course of my late childhood, the one that sticks out the most is: The Magus by John Fowles I was maybe 14 at the time. You just never know because kids are weird.
on “Ask HN: What book had a big impact on you as a child or teenager?” ↗…interest in the fantasy roleplaying sphere, this list should be all the more interesting. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appendix_N On your latter question, I don't see much discussion surrounding The Magus by John Fowles (1965), which is one of my favorite fiction novels of all time.
on “My favorite cult sci-fi and fantasy books you may not have heard of before” ↗Having never heard of this, what other true "cult novels" are out there? They mentioned Castaneda (The Teachings of Don Juan) in the article, I also thought of The Magus by John Fowles, The Glass Bead Game by Hesse and of course Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. What others are out there?
on “Who is the real Dice Man? The elusive writer behind a cult novel” ↗The Magus, John Fowles Dune (all 6) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig Manufacturing Consent The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan If This Is a Man, Primo Levi Light, M. John Harrison
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗…was writing East of Eden. It's a fascinating window into the mind of a master deliberately creating a masterpiece. Other favorites: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, In Our Time by Hemingway, The Magus by John Fowles, 100 years of solitude, Moby Dick (perhaps a precursor to all modern fantasy?) Stranger in a Strange Land, and Infinite Jest. I've also loved both of DFW's big essay collections: Consider…
on “Ask HN: What literature do you read?” ↗The Magus by John Fowles, and No Exit by Sartre. Changed the way I viewed myself.
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗I think 'The Magus' may be my favourite book of all time. And it's the only Fowles I've read. I did lend it to someone that hated it however ! :) Secret History by Donna Tart also recommended.
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗Currently reading: The Magus by John Fowles Just finished reading: Middlemarch by George Eliot
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗…whole phrase goes: cras amet qui numquam amavit quique amavit cras amet Taken from here: http://www.fowlesbooks.com/ourjohn.htm Which also says that it's used as the last line in a book called "The Magus" by one John Fowles. (Honestly no idea who the chap is) And of course, as these things go, "the English translation" can be as long or short as the skill of the translator makes it; there is no one translation…
on “The Edge of Horror” ↗And another from The Magus by John Fowles: "...cynicism masks a failure to cope - an impotence, in short; and that to despise all effort is the greatest effort of all."
on “Opt Out of Cynicism” ↗John Fowles wrote the very famous book "The French Lieutenant's Woman". At least it's famous in the UK. It was made into a successful film in 1981. The Magus appears to have been filmed as well, but in the 60s. This goes beyond a failure of google-fu, surely. Most European languages have about the same information density as Latin so I have no idea where…
on “The Edge of Horror” ↗Everytime I see it, I think of John Fowles' The Magus. See, for example: https://pzo31b.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/20... (via https://www.fowlesbooks.com/1966-fowles-letter-to-high-schoo... )
on “EleutherAI announces it has become a non-profit” ↗