The French Lieutenant's Woman

Synopsis of The French Lieutenant's Woman

«The French Lieutenant's Woman» is the historical and romantic novel by John Fowles, published by Little, Brown in paperback (467 pages, in English).

Set in Victorian England, the novel interweaves a story of love, mystery, and moral dilemmas on the coast of Lyme Regis. Its narration plays with the conventions of the Victorian novel and incorporates several possible endings, along with reflections on freedom, destiny, and the role of the novelist.

The novel was originally published in 1969 and won the WH Smith Literary Award in 1970. The 1981 movie adaptation, starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons, was based on this novel.

For readers of literary fiction and historical novels who appreciate period narratives with layers of social criticism and narrative experimentation.