The Magus

by John Fowles

There are three types of intelligent person: the first so intelligent that being called very intelligent must seem natural and obvious; the second sufficiently intelligent to see that he is being flattered, not described; the third so little intelligent that he will believe anything.

I wounder what category the author ranked himself to?

Never take another human being literally.’ He added, ‘Even when they are so ignorant that they do not know what “literally” means.’

The text is full of similar expressions and passages, in which the author struggles hard to show his "incredible" intellect. Funny.