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Book Description
Filled with shocks and chilling surprises, The Magus is a masterwork of contemporary literature. In it, a young Englishman, Nicholas Urfe, accepts a teaching position on a Greek island where his friendship with the owner of the islands most magnificent estate leads him into a nightmare. As reality and fantasy are deliberately confused by staged deaths, erotic encounters, and terrifying violence, Urfe becomes a desperate man fighting for his sanity and his life. A work rich with symbols, conundrums and labrinthine twists of event, The Magus is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining, a work that ranks with the best novels of modern times.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Like Being Hit with a Wet Bag of Sand,
By Brian (Somerville, MA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Magus (Mass Market Paperback)
This ode to misanthropy makes Paul Verhoeven look like Frank Capra. In fact, to paraphrase Terrence Rafferty's review of 'Total Recall', this is the sort of book that leaves you feeling as if the life had been pounded out of you, and you never wanted to turn a page again.Characters in this book are either smug, cryptic, enraged or confused. Calling them 'characters' flatters them, however; with the exceptions of the main character and the pompous git of a title character they show all the complexity and realness of cheezy androids from a 'Six Million Dollar Man' episode. In fact I think there *was* an episode like this, only in the end the island blew up. I devoutly wish that this had been the case at the end of the novel.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fowles plays God--Pure genius,
By
This review is from: The Magus (Mass Market Paperback)
A wealthy master manipulator chooses to spend his time and riches playing God games with carefully selected targets. Very unethical, yet very delicious, applied psychological tests are imposed upon the target, which a real psychiatrist would never dare to do, or hope to get away with. As the story progresses, the reader may realize with mounting frustration and probably some real excitement that he or she has become involved as a target of sorts, too. Ripe with symbolism, philosophy and the occult, the master manipulator's motives are every bit as mysterious, sometimes inexplicably cruel and frustrating to understand as many might recognize the unknoweable image of God to be. Secrets open doors to more secrets and the great "Why" only looms larger. In the end, the beleaguered main character of Nicholas (and perhaps the reader) finds some solace in the fact that the master manipulator cared enough to involve him in the game in the first place. Psychologically tantalizing and masterfully written--a must read! (One of my top 10 favorite books of all time.)
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deeply engrossing symbolic tale...,
By
This review is from: The Magus (Mass Market Paperback)
In this book a young man trying to find his way in life takes a teaching position on a Greek island and gets wrapped up in the intrigue and surrealistic mind games of a mysterious and wealthy man there. Well written, creative, bizarre. Rich in symbolism, literary reference and insight with lots of twists and turns in the plot. It makes the reader think about personal choice, morality, complicity, forgiveness, retribution, suffering and what is "real". The book is purposely riddled with lacking explanations, implausibilities and plot holes. This bats the reader back and forth between incredulity and fascination - in effect dragging them through the same process that Nicolas is enduring. It also forces the reader to draw their own conclusions and re-enforces the subtle message throughout that "answers" are the poor mans spirituality, but that a true rise in consciousness comes only through rigorous self-examination. In fact, the ambiguity in this book will no doubt leave many readers feeling unsettled and betrayed - which, if not Fowles' intended purpose is an appropriate effect - Fowles doing to the reader what Conchis does to Nicholas throughout the story. Although each reader must take from the book their own lesson, to me it was the symbolic story of the path towards enlightenment that mystical traditions in all faiths profess. In Jungian terms (although the author via the "trial" seems to be coming at it more from the angle of ceremonial magic), Conchis represents the SELF and Nicholas the EGO. The SELF, unfettered by man's artificial "morality" does what it is destined to do - mercilessly and systematically breaking the EGO of it's illusions. This process was nicely symbolized again in Conchis' tale of the Norwegian zealot, who nearly blind and seemingly insane has isolated himself on a remote spit of land where he continually waits to "see" God - i.e. the SELF desperately striving to encounter God regardless of the consequences to the spiritually "blind" EGO (our conscious personality). Overall, a fascinating, multi-layered, highly-symbolic portrayal of the souls journey back to God.
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