The Magus
- 656
- Pages
- about 12 h
- Reading time
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Our view
Nothing on the Greek island of “The Magus” can be trusted, and the long, dark novel built on that premise is hard to put down. Nicholas Urfe, a young Briton teaching English there, is drawn into the staged illusions of a master trickster, and the games grow more serious as they go. Some readers find it gripping and repellent at once, unlike anything else they have read. Its 656 pages suit those who enjoy being kept off balance.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Magus (1965) is a postmodern novel by British author John Fowles, telling the story of Nicholas Urfe, a young British graduate who is teaching English on a small Greek island. Urfe becomes embroiled in the psychological illusions of a master trickster, which become increasingly dark and serious. Considered an example of metafiction, it was the first novel written by Fowles but his third book to be published. A revised edition was published in 1977.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.8 across 137 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 48% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.5 | 12 | 9% |
| Hardcover | 7.8 | 125 | 91% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Magus?
It has 656 pages — longer than 66% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Fantasy — with scores between 7.8 and 7.9, closest to this book.
