The French Lieutenant's Woman
John Fowles · 1926–2005 · England
Why it matters
A Victorian love affair unfolds while its narrator repeatedly steps forward to argue about how the story should end, and offers the reader two. A postmodern romance wearing perfect period costume.
At a glance
postmodernromancehistorical fiction
Difficulty 6/10medium pace480 pagesVictorian pastiche interrupted by an intrusive, argumentative postmodern narrator.
Deep dive
The narrator interrupts his own Victorian romance to argue with the reader about which ending it deserves — and then gives you two.
