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3rd out of 12 books
—
14 voters
The Ebony Tower
by
John Fowles
The Ebony Tower is a series of novellas, rich in imagery, exploring the nature of art. In the title story, a journalist visiting a celebrated but reclusive painter is intrigued by the elderly artist's relationship with two beautiful young women. John Fowles reputation as a master storyteller was further advanced by this collection, which echoed themes and preoccupations fr...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
April 3rd 1997
by Vintage Classics
(first published 1974)
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What I really liked about Fowles’ stories is that each of it has a different theme and narrative technique which makes the reading very interesting. I really like some of the stories.
***
turnul de abanos e o colectie de 5 nuvele ale lui john fowles. prima, cea care da titlul cartii, aduce pe undeva cu magicianul [un batrin izolat, doua fete]. prima parte e destul de descriptiva, semi-plictisitoare, o teoretizare a artei secolului 20 [caci batrinul cu pricina e un pictor retras]. abia in a doua pa...more
***
turnul de abanos e o colectie de 5 nuvele ale lui john fowles. prima, cea care da titlul cartii, aduce pe undeva cu magicianul [un batrin izolat, doua fete]. prima parte e destul de descriptiva, semi-plictisitoare, o teoretizare a artei secolului 20 [caci batrinul cu pricina e un pictor retras]. abia in a doua pa...more
This book was chosen by my book club. I had read The Collector and The French Lieutenant's Woman years ago and looked forward to reading The Ebony Tower.
I liked two stories out of the five - Poor Koko and The Enigma. I found the others (all five are novellas more than short stories) too wordy, very sexist and difficult to get into. I don't mind complicated stories but I really don't like it when I have to look up a lot of words. I find it pretentious and it makes me feel a bit stupid and uneduc...more
I liked two stories out of the five - Poor Koko and The Enigma. I found the others (all five are novellas more than short stories) too wordy, very sexist and difficult to get into. I don't mind complicated stories but I really don't like it when I have to look up a lot of words. I find it pretentious and it makes me feel a bit stupid and uneduc...more
Though each of these stories are very interesting, I found the last two unable to match up to the first ones. I am tempted to choose a favorite among them, but that would be hard, for there are different things to love so much about each of them. My attention was however arrested by a small portion to be found in poor Koko. Fowles speaks of the nature of words, of art. Of how some of us struggle as much as we can to make sure that this form of art survives. Yet the enemy triumphs. A triumph of t...more
Peter o tine pe fata dupa umeri, ea vorbeste.
- Nu-mi dau seama ce fel de fiinta este. Parca e muta.
- M-au avertizat.
Ea ii arunca o ocheada.
- Iti place?
- Ei, asta-i!
- Aseara nu ti-ai luat ochii de pe ea.
- Din amabilitate. Doar nu esti geloasa pentru ieri seara!
- Nu. Doar curioasa.
O trage mai aproape de el.
- Oricum, multumesc.
- Credeam ca barbatilor le plac femeile misterioase ca marea.
- Glumesti. Ea e prea de tot.
Fata il priveste pe sub sprancene. El ridica din umeri, apoi zambeste musc...more
- Nu-mi dau seama ce fel de fiinta este. Parca e muta.
- M-au avertizat.
Ea ii arunca o ocheada.
- Iti place?
- Ei, asta-i!
- Aseara nu ti-ai luat ochii de pe ea.
- Din amabilitate. Doar nu esti geloasa pentru ieri seara!
- Nu. Doar curioasa.
O trage mai aproape de el.
- Oricum, multumesc.
- Credeam ca barbatilor le plac femeile misterioase ca marea.
- Glumesti. Ea e prea de tot.
Fata il priveste pe sub sprancene. El ridica din umeri, apoi zambeste musc...more
Fowles is another one of those writers that uses writing in just the way I like: to elucidate ideas as clearly and concisely as possible, and not for the sake of showing off his profligate vocabulary or acrobatic verbal prowess, which is my opinion happens way too often with modern literature. What I like even more is that Fowles is obsessed with discovering and elucidating the themes that shape the modern world, and has more success than most writers. "The Ebony Tower," the first novella in thi...more
I don't know what my issue was here, but reading this felt like a plodding chore. Fowles' prose is still a delight, but I don't know if his storytelling works for me in the short fiction mode. The title story was sort of a light Magus, in fitting with his "variations" theme for the collection, but it doesn't reach the scope of the longer novel, despite threading in a wonderful sense of dread. There's no real release to the tension.
The Cloud is the other worthwhile story, but even that suffers f...more
The Cloud is the other worthwhile story, but even that suffers f...more
Эпичная книга. Бывает вот так ищешь нового для себя автора, который сможет впечатлить с первого же раза, и никакого улова. А после совершенно случайно скачиваешь книгу без всякой задней мысли, а она с первых строк увлекает. А через несколько десятков страниц и не оторваться, а к середине уже перестаешь обращать внимания на окружающий мир. И вдруг она заканчивается. И такое опустошение находит. Вроде прочитал всего несколько дней назад, а уже тянет снова погрузиться в историю и строй слов.
Очень м...more
Очень м...more
Jan 05, 2012
Lobstergirl
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Lobstergirl by:
Marcus Bachman
I'm glad this wasn't my first exposure to Fowles, because it would have turned me off him for good and I never would have read The French Lieutenant's Woman. I didn't realize that it was a novella and four stories. (Nowhere on my copy of the book is this indicated.) The novella, The Ebony Tower, is about a dirty old man, an expat British artist living in France, his two young concubines, named the Mouse and the Freak, and David, the artist/writer who drops into their lives briefly to interview t...more
4 likes
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I once got in trouble with a friend by arguing that John Fowles was not a misogynist. A cultural elitist certainly, a classist absolutely. A male chauvinist maybe, but an accidental one if, indeed, he was even that. Fowles considered himself to be a feminist, in fact, and though I can't comfortably fit him into that camp, I would argue that his fiction usually shows his male characters (particularly his male protagonists) to be terrible people--far more terrible than their female counterparts.
F...more
F...more
John Fowles doesn't get much respect in the States, which is pretty unfortunate. He's so good at sculpting these impressionistic, slightly sinister atmospheres. And then, rather than using them as backdrop, he plays with them, constantly forcing them to interact with human agents. It's a trick that readers of Borges and Calvino should find pretty enjoyable. The stories in The Ebony Tower, the title one above all, manages this atmosphere. And, like all the others, it's able to weave together myth...more
If you can get through the novella's first page with the longest sentence I ever read in my life of reading, you will be catapulted into a story so compelling, so thick with erotic overtones, you can't help but be immersed. The Ebony Tower as a title is a symbol to puzzle you. Mesmerizing. Take your time reading this, or the magic of sudden love will elude you.
The other short stories have their own merit.
The other short stories have their own merit.
Sep 21, 2011
Kathiannbrogdon
added it
One of the books I few books I pick up to read again. I cannot understand why, exactly, John Fowles's books call me back again. His descriptions absolutely transport me to another time and place -- not overtly, but mysteriously. All 4 stories are excellent, but The Ebony Tower is my favorite.
I had to read bits and pieces of this book as part of an undergraduate English course focusing solely on Fowles. I can't believe I never noticed what a misogynist Fowles is. I did notice that his writing is very contrived even way back then. Makes me want to go back and reread The Collector and The French Lieutenant's Woman - both of which I loved at the time.
If you own the book, I'd suggest you read Eliduc, Poor Koko, and The Enigma. Whatever you do, skip The Cloud; in it you can nearly hear Fo...more
If you own the book, I'd suggest you read Eliduc, Poor Koko, and The Enigma. Whatever you do, skip The Cloud; in it you can nearly hear Fo...more
John Fowles is one of Elizabeth George's favorite writers and since Elizabeth George is one of my favorites and I've already read all of her books... This was a collection of short stories which I did not realize when I checked it out of the library. I just tend to not like short stories - by the time I'm really getting into one, it's wrapping up. Fowles is a very descriptive, wordy and intellectual writer which made reading this a thoughtful experience (ok, slow reading). As to content, some of...more
Collection of five novellas from the genius that is Fowles. Stunningly brilliant, eloquent and profoundly intelligent. It is surely impossible not to learn from this man about both writing and life itself. This writer took literature towards a new frontier. Amazing.
"The Ebony Tower" returns to the theme of mentorship, telling another version a meeting with a roll model. In this case, it's a meeting of artists. David Williams, a frustrated artist detours from his holiday with his wife to interview the cantankerous Henry Breasley who lives in seclusion with two beautiful former art students: Diana (the Mouse) and Anne (the Freak). David spends the weekend being lectured on morality, sexuality and modern art. He is tempted to join this hedonistic lifestyle in...more
I've finally read this book. It's a book of short stories and since I prefer novels, it wasn't the best book for me. But I did like the stories, especially the 1st one :)
oh my god here's another story about a creepy old man and his weird triad with some sexy nymphs, john fowles has done it again
He said gently, "Balls."
He said gently, "Balls."
TBR Busting 2013
3* The Maggot
4* The Magus
4* The French Lieutenant's Woman
4* The Collector
3* Daniel Martin
CR The Ebony Tower
Holy Shit. This is tale is woven together so well that each day I realize how much more amazing it is than I thought the day before. Read it.
Uh did not realize this was a short story til it ended.
Before you read Ebony Tower - read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisanello
Before you read Ebony Tower - read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisanello
I have always been a big fan of John Fowles, but this collection didn't impress me as much as some of his other works. All the short stories were beautifully structured and written; the man's command of language is sometimes just plain astonishing. But most if not all were very much "of their time" (the book was first published in, I believe, 1973 or so) and seemed somehow dated... at times almost quaint. Each also offered a decidedly male perspective; not surprising from Fowles but here again,...more
There was a tv drama of this in about 1986 with Toyah Wilcox and Sir Laurence Olivier - wish I could get a copy!!
John Fowles has trouble hiding his contempt for British Conservatism, especially in the story of the disappeared MP.
These felt a bit like first drafts, but I did still enjoy them, particularly 'The Ebony Tower'.
I LOVED this book when I read Iran's read other John Foaled books as a result, but then his books stopped touching me.
I had to read this for one of my classes. It's not something I would normally pick up and read, and I don't really recommend it to anyone unless you are interested in mid-twentieth century English lit for any specific reason haha.
Really great BBC version of this with Roger Rees...loved the book, of course.
Oct 30, 2012
Joe Petty
marked it as to-read
I have a cool book club edition of this book.
A pretty dense read, but worth the effort.
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John Robert Fowles was born in Leigh-on-Sea, a small town located about 40 miles from London in the county of Essex, England. He recalls the English suburban culture of the 1930s as oppressively conformist and his family life as intensely conventional. Of his childhood, Fowles says "I have tried to escape ever since."
Fowles attended Bedford School, a large boarding school designed to prepare boys...more
More about John Fowles...
Fowles attended Bedford School, a large boarding school designed to prepare boys...more
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May 02, 2013 05:40am