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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date= July 2023}}

{{Short description|1977 novel by John Fowles}}
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name = Daniel Martin
| name = Daniel Martin
Line 4: Line 8:
| caption = First edition (UK)
| caption = First edition (UK)
| author = [[John Fowles]]
| author = [[John Fowles]]
| cover_artist = Mon Mohan<ref>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/13313279@N04/sets/72157625652290628/show/ Modern first editions - a set on Flickr]</ref>
| cover_artist = Mon Mohan<ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/13313279@N04/sets/72157625652290628/show/ Modern first editions - a set on Flickr]</ref>
| country =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| language = English
| genre =
| genre = [[Bildungsroman]]
| publisher = [[Jonathan Cape]] (UK)<br>[[Little Brown]] (US)
| publisher = [[Jonathan Cape]] (UK)<br />[[Little Brown]] (US)
| pub_date = 1977
| pub_date = Oct 1977
| media_type = Print
| media_type = Print
| pages = 704
| pages = 704
Line 17: Line 21:
| oclc= 3427330
| oclc= 3427330
}}
}}
⚫
'''''Daniel Martin''''' is a [[Bildungsroman]] [[novel]] written by English author [[John Fowles]] and first published in 1977 by [[Jonathan Cape]]. It follows the life of the [[eponymous]] [[protagonist]], using both first and third person voices, whilst employing a variety of [[literary technique]]s such as multiple [[narrative]]s and [[Flashback (narrative)|flashback]]. The author suggests that the book is concerned with "Englishness - what it is like to be [[English people|English]] in the late 20th century."<ref name=Gussow>Mel Gussow ''Talk With John Fowles'' in ''The New York Times'', November 13, 1977 [https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/05/31/specials/fowles-talk.html retrieved January 1, 2008 (may require subscription)]</ref>

⚫
'''''Daniel Martin''''' is a [[novel]] by [[John Fowles]]. It was first published in 1977 and can be taken as a [[Bildungsroman]], following the life of the [[eponymous]] [[protagonist]]. The novel uses both first and third person voices, whilst employing a variety of [[literary technique]]s such as multiple [[narrative]]s and [[Flashback (narrative)|flashback]]. The author suggests that the book is concerned with "Englishness - what it is like to be [[English people|English]] in the late 20th century.<ref name=Gussow>Mel Gussow ''Talk With John Fowles'' in ''The New York Times'', November 13, 1977 [http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/05/31/specials/fowles-talk.html retrieved January 1, 2008 (may require subscription)]</ref>

<!-- Expand the lead paragraph above to summarize the article (but NOT
the plot, which belongs in the plot introduction section below). Briefly
describe distinctive characteristics of the novel, major themes, awards,
and notable adaptations. Do not make any statement that is not expanded
later in another section of the article. See [[Wikipedia:Lead section]]
(WP:LEAD) for guidelines.
-->


== Plot summary ==
== Plot summary ==


''Daniel Martin'' is the story of a [[Hollywood]] [[screenwriter]] who returns to his native [[England]] when a friend from university asks to see him before he dies. With flashbacks to his childhood in the 1940s and time at university in [[Oxford University|Oxford]], a tale of frustrated love emerges. The dying man (Anthony) asks him to look after his wife Jane. Daniel had, in fact, married Jane's sister, despite loving Jane and having spent one night with her.
Dan Martin is a [[playwright]] and [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] [[screenwriter]] who returns to his native England when a friend from his time at university asks to see him before he dies. With flashbacks to his childhood in the 1940s and his [[Oxford University|Oxford]] undergraduate days, a tale of frustrated love emerges. The dying man, Anthony, asks Daniel to look after Anthony's wife Jane. Daniel had married Jane's sister Nell, despite loving Jane and having spent one night with her many years previously.


While in England, Daniel improves relations with his daughter (Caro) and his estranged wife (Nell). Then Daniel and Jane go on a cruise visiting [[Egypt]], [[Syria]], and [[Lebanon]]; and the two fall in love again. Daniel breaks up with his [[Scottish people|Scottish]] girlfriend, and the two lovers are reunited at the end of the book.
While in England, Daniel improves relations with his daughter, Caro, and with Nell, from whom he is now divorced. Daniel and Jane go on a cruise in [[Egypt]] and visit [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]], and the two fall in love again. Daniel breaks up with his much younger girlfriend, and the two lovers are reunited at the end of the book.


==Characters in ''Daniel Martin''==
==Main characters in ''Daniel Martin''==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Character !! Information
! Character !! Information
|-
|-
| Daniel Martin|| The protagonist
| Dan Martin|| The protagonist
|-
|-
| Nell || Daniel's ex-wife
| Nell || Daniel's ex-wife
Line 50: Line 44:
| Caro || Daniel's daughter by Nell
| Caro || Daniel's daughter by Nell
|-
|-
| Jenny || Daniel's Scottish girlfriend
| Jenny || Daniel's younger girlfriend
|}
|}

==Writing==

In summer 1969 Fowles commenced work on ''The Two Englishmen'', which he renamed ''Futility'', and which then became ''Daniel Martin''. A second draft was begun in April 1974 and he worked on the novel consistently throughout 1974/75. Final amendments were made in March 1977.<ref>Fowles, John ''The Journals Volume 2'', London: Jonathan Cape, 2006</ref>


==Major themes==
==Major themes==


The novel can be seen as autobiographical. John Fowles states in an interview: "You are every character you write. In ''Daniel Martin'', where I describe myself travelling all over America, I probably revealed more of myself than anywhere else."<ref name=Adam>Adam Lee-Potter ''Fair or Fowles?'' in ''The Observer'' October 12, 2003 [http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/biography/story/0,,1061910,00.html retrieved January 1, 2008]</ref>
The novel can be seen as autobiographical. John Fowles stated in an interview: "You are every character you write. In ''Daniel Martin'', where I describe myself travelling all over America, I probably revealed more of myself than anywhere else."<ref name=Adam>Adam Lee-Potter ''Fair or Fowles?'' in ''The Observer'' October 12, 2003 [http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/biography/story/0,,1061910,00.html retrieved January 1, 2008]</ref>


In exploring the relationships between the main characters, Fowles takes the chance to expand upon such topics as [[aesthetics]], philosophy of cinema, [[archeology]], [[imperialism]] and the differences between Britain and the United States.
In exploring the relationships between the main characters, Fowles takes the chance to expand upon such topics as [[aesthetics]], philosophy of cinema, [[archaeology]], [[imperialism]] and the differences between Britain and the United States.


[[John Champlin Gardner|John Gardner]] calls upon ''Daniel Martin'' many times in the first half of ''[[On Moral Fiction]]''; it is to him a reflection of John Fowles's valid opinion regarding art—namely, that true art ought to instruct. The same notion was Gardner's central thesis in ''On Moral Fiction''.
[[John Champlin Gardner|John Gardner]] references ''Daniel Martin'' many times in the first half of ''[[On Moral Fiction]]''; it is to him a reflection of John Fowles's valid opinion regarding art—namely, that true art ought to instruct. The same notion was Gardner's central thesis in ''On Moral Fiction''.


==Literary significance and reception==
==Literary significance and reception==


Robert McCrum states "It was the American literary press that saluted Daniel Martin; the English critics who murdered it."<ref name=McCrum>Robert McCrum in ''The highs and lows of being John Fowles'', ''The Observer'', November 13, 2005.
[[Robert McCrum]] states "It was the American literary press that saluted Daniel Martin; the English critics who murdered it."<ref name=McCrum>Robert McCrum in [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,1641253,00.html''The highs and lows of being John Fowles''], ''The Observer'', November 13, 2005.
Retrieved January 1, 2008
[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,1641253,00.html retrieved January 1, 2008]
</ref> Writing in ''The New York Times'' William H. Pritchard opined "This new, long, ambitious novel must be judged [Fowles's] best piece of work to date and is a masterly fictional creation, dense with fact."<ref name=Pritchard>William H. Pritchard, September 25, 1977 Book Review in ''The New York Times''</ref>
</ref> Writing in ''The New York Times'' [[William H. Pritchard]] opined "This new, long, ambitious novel must be judged [Fowles's] best piece of work to date and is a masterly fictional creation, dense with fact."<ref name=Pritchard>William H. Pritchard, September 25, 1977 Book Review in ''The New York Times''</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
*[http://www.fowlesbooks.com/ FowlesBooks.com]—The Official John Fowles web site
*{{URL|http://www.fowlesbooks.com/}} John Fowles–The Web Site


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
Line 76: Line 74:
* Park S. ''Time and Ruins in John Fowles's "Daniel Martin" in "John Fowles"'' Modern Fiction Studies 1985, vol. 31, no 1, pages 157-163 ISSN 0026-7724
* Park S. ''Time and Ruins in John Fowles's "Daniel Martin" in "John Fowles"'' Modern Fiction Studies 1985, vol. 31, no 1, pages 157-163 ISSN 0026-7724
* ''Post-Pastoral in John Fowles’s "Daniel Martin"'' Wilson Organization Environment. 2005; 18: 477-488
* ''Post-Pastoral in John Fowles’s "Daniel Martin"'' Wilson Organization Environment. 2005; 18: 477-488
* Discussion threads on ''Daniel Martin'': http://fowlesbooks.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5
* Discussion threads on ''Daniel Martin'': http://fowlesbooks.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213202658/http://fowlesbooks.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 |date=13 February 2009 }}


{{Fowles}}
{{Fowles}}

Latest revision as of 09:49, 3 August 2024

Daniel Martin
First edition (UK)
AuthorJohn Fowles
Cover artistMon Mohan[1]
LanguageEnglish
GenreBildungsroman
PublisherJonathan Cape (UK)
Little Brown (US)
Publication date
Oct 1977
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages704
ISBN0-224-01490-0
OCLC3427330
823/.9/14
LC ClassPZ4.F788 Dan PR6056.O85

Daniel Martin is a Bildungsroman novel written by English author John Fowles and first published in 1977 by Jonathan Cape. It follows the life of the eponymous protagonist, using both first and third person voices, whilst employing a variety of literary techniques such as multiple narratives and flashback. The author suggests that the book is concerned with "Englishness - what it is like to be English in the late 20th century."[2]

Plot summary

[edit]

Dan Martin is a playwright and Hollywood screenwriter who returns to his native England when a friend from his time at university asks to see him before he dies. With flashbacks to his childhood in the 1940s and his Oxford undergraduate days, a tale of frustrated love emerges. The dying man, Anthony, asks Daniel to look after Anthony's wife Jane. Daniel had married Jane's sister Nell, despite loving Jane and having spent one night with her many years previously.

While in England, Daniel improves relations with his daughter, Caro, and with Nell, from whom he is now divorced. Daniel and Jane go on a cruise in Egypt and visit Syria and Lebanon, and the two fall in love again. Daniel breaks up with his much younger girlfriend, and the two lovers are reunited at the end of the book.

Main characters in Daniel Martin

[edit]
Character Information
Dan Martin The protagonist
Nell Daniel's ex-wife
Jane Daniel's lifetime love, Nell's sister
Anthony Jane's husband, Daniel's friend
Caro Daniel's daughter by Nell
Jenny Daniel's younger girlfriend

Writing

[edit]

In summer 1969 Fowles commenced work on The Two Englishmen, which he renamed Futility, and which then became Daniel Martin. A second draft was begun in April 1974 and he worked on the novel consistently throughout 1974/75. Final amendments were made in March 1977.[3]

Major themes

[edit]

The novel can be seen as autobiographical. John Fowles stated in an interview: "You are every character you write. In Daniel Martin, where I describe myself travelling all over America, I probably revealed more of myself than anywhere else."[4]

In exploring the relationships between the main characters, Fowles takes the chance to expand upon such topics as aesthetics, philosophy of cinema, archaeology, imperialism and the differences between Britain and the United States.

John Gardner references Daniel Martin many times in the first half of On Moral Fiction; it is to him a reflection of John Fowles's valid opinion regarding art—namely, that true art ought to instruct. The same notion was Gardner's central thesis in On Moral Fiction.

Literary significance and reception

[edit]

Robert McCrum states "It was the American literary press that saluted Daniel Martin; the English critics who murdered it."[5] Writing in The New York Times William H. Pritchard opined "This new, long, ambitious novel must be judged [Fowles's] best piece of work to date and is a masterly fictional creation, dense with fact."[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Modern first editions - a set on Flickr
  2. ^ Mel Gussow Talk With John Fowles in The New York Times, November 13, 1977 retrieved January 1, 2008 (may require subscription)
  3. ^ Fowles, John The Journals Volume 2, London: Jonathan Cape, 2006
  4. ^ Adam Lee-Potter Fair or Fowles? in The Observer October 12, 2003 retrieved January 1, 2008
  5. ^ Robert McCrum in The highs and lows of being John Fowles, The Observer, November 13, 2005. Retrieved January 1, 2008
  6. ^ William H. Pritchard, September 25, 1977 Book Review in The New York Times

Further reading

[edit]
  • Park S. Time and Ruins in John Fowles's "Daniel Martin" in "John Fowles" Modern Fiction Studies 1985, vol. 31, no 1, pages 157-163 ISSN 0026-7724
  • Post-Pastoral in John Fowles’s "Daniel Martin" Wilson Organization Environment. 2005; 18: 477-488
  • Discussion threads on Daniel Martin: http://fowlesbooks.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 Archived 13 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
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