The Collector
by John Fowles

It is hard to believe that this haunting and compelling book was John Fowles first novel written in 1963. I’ve read it many times since, but the first time I picked up I couldn’t put it down until the last page. This book was disturbing in the extreme. Although it does not compare in complexity to Fowles’s later work, this masterpiece of tension, suspense, and psychological torture, already shows him at the height of his powers.

John Fowles would later become one of the most acclaimed authors of the twentieth century, and with good reason. His mastery of the language is superb and his ability to build tension and apply psychological pressure seems to flow effortlessly from his pen. The Collector is probably his most approachable work, easily read page turner fiction. I found it a chilling thrill ride and I’m sure you will too.