by John Fowles
First published 1965
Francis, a bored English teacher, stumbles into the orbit of the mysterious Conchis on a remote Greek island. As Conchis draws Francis deeper into his elaborate psychological experiments, Francis becomes obsessed with a woman who may or may not be a pawn in Conchis' games. Trapped in a web of manipulation and deception, Francis must confront his own illusions about reality, identity, and control.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, psychological-thriller, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Greece
Period: 1960s
656 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown & Company (Boston)