The Ebony Tower (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: John Fowles
- First Published: 1974
- Type of Work: Romantic realism
- Time of Work: Two days in September, 1973
- Setting: Manoir de Coetminais, in Brittany near Rennes, and Orly Airport outside Paris
- Principal Characters: David Williams, Henry Breasley, The Mouse (Diana), The Freak (Anne), Jean-Pierre, Mathilde
- Genres: Long fiction, Realism
- Subjects: 1970’s, Self-discovery, Philosophy or philosophers, France or French people, Love or romance, Sex or sexuality, Authors or writers, Emotions, Criticism, Painting or painters, Speech, English language, Humanism, Houses, mansions, or manors, Intellect, Arts or crafts
- Locales: Brittany, France
The Novella
Very little action is involved in the two-day span that constitutes the plot of The Ebony Tower, the title novella in a collection with four short stories. Presented from the point of view of limited omniscience, the novella concerns the thoughts and reactions of David Williams, as he contrasts his domestic and predictable life in London with the unconventional world he encounters at Henry Breasley’s estate in France, the Manoir de Coetminais (“the forest of the monks”).
David has come to Brittany to interview Henry in preparation for writing a...
[The entire page is 1962 words long]
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