John Fowles - The Collector
I bought this book because the characters drew from The Tempest. The Tempest is my favourite Shakespeare play (of the ones I have seen and read anyway). I did it for English Literature A Level and I just loved the characters and how each character spoke differently - particularly Ariel and Prospero. I've never seen a performance of it though, I keep wishing the Globe will but I don't think they are going to next year. I'll have to make a special effort to see one next season - this summer Ray Fiennes was in a production at the Haymarket but I didn't get on the ticket case quick enough. Luckily though, my friend bought be a 1942 edition Complete Works for my birthday last year and The Tempest is the first play in it!
Anyway, this book is rather different, and I guess the similarities are in the scenario and the character's names. Miranda is the female hostage, and she sees her kidnapper as Caliban, whereas he sees himself as Ferdinand - he even tells her to call him Ferdinand even though that's not his name. These intricacies will be appreciated by the informed reader, but the book itself has a danger of alienating anyone who doesn't know The Tempest well.
The book is divided up by both the characters and writing styles - Ferdinand's pieces are rather dull, and simple, and very to the point. Utilitarian. The feelings are there but they are not embellished. It's all quite one dimensional, so sometimes it can feel a bit slow. However, despite conveying Ferdinand in this style Fowles does very well to make sure the reader still gets to know Ferdinand quite well. He's not alienated from the reader - his thoughts are accessible. In fact, in a stange way his actions are accessible, even though they are in absolutely no way approvable! He is innocent like Caliban, but besotted like Ferdinand. I guess the character doesn't know real love - he's a virgin, a baby, who hasn't developed properly, like Caliban, yet he tries to woo Miranda as if he were Ferdinand. It's an interesting take on the male psyche.
Miranda is actually more philosophical and flamboyant in her chapters, Fowles seems to take on the female mind well although by the end of her part of the book I actually didn't like her very much. She seemed frivolous, and infatuated with this older man - GH, if I remember rightly - who quite frankly is an absolute arsehole! But, at 18, that is the kind of men you're attracted to isn't it?- those who seem mature and confident and intelligent. Despite this, I felt so sorry for her throughout the novel, she was so trapped and stunted, I could really imagine the kind of room she was kept in because Fowles sets the scene so well. Miranda's passages also reflect her artistic nature, which puts her into stark contrast with Ferdinand. They say opposites attract... in this book, they don't.
I think Ferdinand's character could be better developed, but it was a very good read - definitely a riveting story. Although it is relatively pedestrian (set in London, and around Lewes area, somewhere I know quiet well actually) this made it easy to picture in my mind, which meant I could just get on with reading it and embracing the story and the text. A bit more sexual content might have spiced it up a bit, but I think the omission of this was part of Fowles's plan - Ferdinand is never satisfied despite what he is offered, he doesn't really know what to do with Miranda when she plays up to her prison guard. The character dynamics were very impressive. A good read overall, not sure I'd recommend it to someone unless I was completely sure of their tastes because I don't think everyone would enjoy it.
