The British writer John Fowles, author of
The Magus
and
The French Lieutenant's Woman
, has died at the age of 79, his publisher Random House announced Monday.
Fowles died on Saturday at his home in Lyme Regis, in Dorset on England's south coast, after a long illness.
His writing career spanned more than 40 years, but his most famous work remains The French Lieutenant's Woman, which was published in 1969 and made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons, in 1981.
A former teacher, Fowles published his first book The Collector, in 1963, which was an immediate best-seller. It was followed by The Magus, which gained cult status in the United States, two years later.
His other novels were Daniel Martin (1977), Mantissa (1982) and A Maggot (1985). He also produced a short story collection, poetry and works of non-fiction.
Fowles, who survived a stroke in 1988 and then suffered heart problems, is survived by his second wife, Sarah. His first wife, Elizabeth, died of cancer in 1990.
Fiercely private, he lived as a virtual recluse in a house overlooking the English Channel, and hated the fame that went with his work, once complaining of feeling "persecuted" by his readers.
{{/usCountry}}Fiercely private, he lived as a virtual recluse in a house overlooking the English Channel, and hated the fame that went with his work, once complaining of feeling "persecuted" by his readers.
{{/usCountry}}'They want to see you and talk to you. And they don't realise that very often that gets on one's nerves,' he said. 'I have a great deal of contempt for writers who are vain, who want fame.'