If you enjoy reading novels by John Fowles then you might also like the following authors:
Iris Murdoch was a British novelist and philosopher known for her insightful explorations of morality, freedom, love, and human relationships.
Fans of John Fowles might particularly enjoy her novel “The Sea, The Sea,” which is about Charles Arrowby, a self-centered retired theater director who retreats to an isolated English coastal village to write his memoir.
The solitude he seeks doesn’t last—unexpected encounters and past relationships resurface, blurring his perception of reality. Murdoch combines sharp psychological insights with a captivating story, creating an absorbing and layered narrative.
Her characters are complex, flawed, frustrating, yet always deeply human. If you’re interested in stories where moral ambiguity and human complexities drive the narrative, Iris Murdoch is definitely worth your attention.
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese novelist known for blending reality with surreal elements in his fiction. If you’re a fan of John Fowles’ multi-layered narratives and psychological depth, Murakami offers intriguing stories with surprising twists and emotional truths.
His novel “Kafka on the Shore” follows two parallel journeys: one of Kafka Tamura, a teenage boy who flees home to escape a dark prophecy connected to his own father, and another of Nakata, an older man who can speak with cats.
Their mysterious paths gradually intertwine in unexpected ways, drawing readers into a world filled with strange characters, curious symbols, and a deep exploration of identity and destiny.
Books by Julian Barnes often explore layers of memory and truth, similar to works by John Fowles. If you appreciated Fowles’ “The Magus,” consider trying Barnes’ “The Sense of an Ending.”
In this short and powerful novel, the narrator, Tony Webster, revisits his school days and early friendships. A letter he wrote decades ago unexpectedly resurfaces, prompting him to reconsider past relationships, events, and misunderstandings.
Barnes skillfully shows how memory reshapes personal history, revealing deeper emotions and truths beneath ordinary experiences. The thoughtful and introspective approach Barnes brings to storytelling invites readers to question their perceptions of the past.
Ian McEwan is a British author celebrated for exploring complex human emotions and ethical dilemmas in his novels. If you’ve enjoyed the psychological depth in John Fowles’s works, you might find McEwan’s “Atonement” equally rewarding.
The novel follows young Briony Tallis, whose misinterpretation of a single event drastically changes several lives. McEwan masterfully portrays how guilt and redemption shape Briony’s journey from childhood innocence to adult understanding.
The novel’s thoughtful examination of memory and forgiveness, combined with richly drawn characters, makes “Atonement” hard to put down.
Readers who enjoy the psychological depth and moral exploration in John Fowles’s novels may appreciate the works of William Golding. Golding’s storytelling focuses keenly on human nature and moral dilemmas under extreme conditions.
In “Lord of the Flies,” Golding shows a group of schoolboys stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. At first they organize themselves, set rules, and try to maintain order.
But soon their civilization breaks down, unleashing fear and brutality within their isolated world. Golding’s narrative explores what lies beneath the surface of civilization, making us question how thin the line really is between order and chaos.
If you enjoy John Fowles for his blend of psychological depth and sharp storytelling, Michel Faber could be a great fit. His novel “The Crimson Petal and the White” offers readers an absorbing look at Victorian London with all its grit, glamour, and shadowy corners.
The novel follows Sugar, a young woman struggling to rise from poverty who becomes entwined with a wealthy businessman and his troubled family.
Faber vividly portrays the stark divisions of Victorian society, complex relationships, hidden desires, and the relentless ambition that shapes his characters.
A.S. Byatt is an English novelist known for layered narratives and fascinating journeys into literary history. If you enjoyed John Fowles’s “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” you’ll likely appreciate Byatt’s “Possession.”
The novel revolves around two modern-day literary scholars who uncover secret letters between two Victorian poets. Passion, mystery, and poetry combine as the scholars piece together the poets’ hidden romance and deal with emotional echoes in their own lives.
It’s a clever, literary detective story about obsession, hidden desires, and the thrill of discovering secrets buried deep in history.
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian author known for novels that reveal complex psychological landscapes under social pressures, an approach similar to John Fowles. In her book “The Blind Assassin,” Atwood weaves three parallel stories into one narrative.
The novel centers on Iris Chase and her younger sister Laura, whose mysterious death still haunts Iris decades later.
As Iris recounts family secrets and hidden relationships, we uncover a fictional tale within the main narrative, called “The Blind Assassin,” written by Laura herself. Through these intertwined layers, Atwood explores themes of betrayal and deception.
For those who enjoy Fowles’s intricate characters and unexpected narrative turns, Atwood offers a richly layered reading experience.
Kazuo Ishiguro explores themes of memory, identity, and the quiet drama beneath ordinary lives. If you’re a John Fowles reader who appreciates layered storytelling and thoughtful character exploration, Ishiguro might resonate with you.
His book, “The Remains of the Day,” tells the story of Stevens, a dedicated English butler who takes a rare road trip through the countryside. Stevens reflects on decades of loyal service, confronting the weight of choices, memories, duty, and missed opportunities along the way.
Ishiguro’s calm and precise prose draws you deeply into the inner world of a subtle, dignified character, making you ponder the smaller actions and silences that shape a life.
Readers who enjoy John Fowles might appreciate Toni Morrison. Morrison’s novels examine deep human emotions and complex moral questions, often set within vivid historical contexts.
Her acclaimed book “Beloved” explores the traumatic legacy of slavery through the haunting story of Sethe, a woman who escapes from bondage but remains imprisoned by painful memories.
When a mysterious young woman named Beloved appears at Sethe’s doorstep, the past resurfaces in unexpected and unsettling ways. Morrison skillfully blends elements of the supernatural with powerful emotional truths about love, loss, and redemption.
Thomas Pynchon is an American novelist famous for complex narratives and vivid storytelling that stretch imagination and reality.
If you enjoy John Fowles’ style of playing with narrative structure and blending history with fiction, then Pynchon’s “The Crying of Lot 49” will likely interest you. It centers around Oedipa Maas, who finds herself suddenly appointed executor of her former lover’s estate.
Her search leads to mysterious clues, a hidden postal service, and an underground order whose existence she’s not even sure about. The story mixes conspiracy, satire, humor, and a sense of paranoia that keeps you turning pages, always eager to untangle the strange threads.
Umberto Eco was an Italian novelist and philosopher known for clever and thought-provoking stories. Those who appreciate the complexity and intellectual depth of John Fowles’ novels might really enjoy Eco’s “The Name of the Rose.”
Set in a medieval monastery, the story follows William of Baskerville, a Franciscan monk who investigates a series of mysterious murders. It’s a story full of secret symbols, theological puzzles, and lively debates about what is true and reliable.
Eco creates a vivid world where each page challenges readers to think about history, religion, and human nature.
Readers who enjoy John Fowles might also appreciate the novels of Paul Auster. Auster is famous for blending themes of identity, chance, and existential questioning within compelling storylines.
In his book “The New York Trilogy,” he weaves three interconnected detective stories that go beyond traditional mysteries. Each narrative explores the blurred lines between author and character, reality and fiction.
For example, in the first part, “City of Glass,” protagonist Daniel Quinn, a writer turned detective, becomes entangled in a puzzling case that gradually challenges his sense of reality and identity.
For fans of Fowles’ thought-provoking, layered narratives, Auster’s “The New York Trilogy” offers intriguing and atmospheric storytelling.
If you enjoy John Fowles’s complex narratives and exploration of reality and identity, try David Mitchell. Mitchell is known for imaginative storytelling and characters who jump across different times and places.
One of his best-known novels, “Cloud Atlas,” weaves together several interconnected stories, each set in a unique time period. From the nineteenth-century South Pacific to a dystopian future, Mitchell explores how individual lives connect beyond time and place.
Each story influences and echoes through the others, creating a fascinating puzzle and a memorable reading experience.
Readers who enjoy John Fowles’ blend of complex storytelling and intriguing characters may appreciate Gabriel García Márquez. Márquez is a master of magical realism—a style that blends reality with surreal details.
His book “One Hundred Years of Solitude” chronicles the Buendía family through multiple generations in the fictional town of Macondo. The novel features dreams that predict the future, ghosts who casually visit the living, and endless cycles of love and isolation.
Yet amid these fantastical elements, Márquez paints clear and vivid portraits of human nature, family dynamics, and fate. If John Fowles’ narrative landscapes appeal to you, then Márquez’s energized tales of magic and memory are worth exploring.