The Collector av John Fowles följer en socialt inkompetent fjärilssamlare som efter en lotterivinst bestämmer sig för att förverkliga sin långvariga dröm att kidnappa en ung konststudent som han är besatt av. Språket är simpelt och effektivt. Berättarperspektivet följer kapitelvis båda karaktärerna i en isolerad och klaustrofobisk miljö från ett förstapersonsperspektiv. Rekommenderas starkt.

This book has been on my TBR for a while after being referenced in the TV show Criminal Minds, so I knew to expect it might be a bit creepy. And it was pretty clear from almost the first few pages that this is a book from the perspective of one of the psychopaths that turns up in crime shows as serial kidnappers. In this story, a butterfly collector turns to a more challenging specimen when he wins a lot of money and can turn his daydreams about capturing the woman of his fantasies into reality.
Besides being nowhere near as morbid as it could have been, this book also in a way addresses the experience of too many women trapped into marriages where they are expected to 'learn to love' their spouse eventually. The scenario in this book is obviously criminal, but if this book was set in a different place or century, the idea of a man capturing and keeping his chosen woman would seem less unusual, even though the cruelty and unfairness of the story would be the same. ( )

Continues to amaze us that the midcentury English novelist conceived modern literature as a morality play that tells you to vote Tory. ( )

This was certainly worse than French Lieutenant's Woman, and I am through with John Fowles. The chaarcters were not likable or very interesting, and the protagonist was certainly in need of psychiatric help. He has many similarities to the incels of today, and unfortunately, was just as dangerous. After plodding through all of the tedious details, the story got less interesting rather than more interesting. ( )

Frederick es un solitario burócrata municipal que colecciona mariposas. Miranda es una radiante e inteligente estudiante de arte. Frederick la secuestra y la aloja con todas las comodidades en un sótano en su propiedad.