This has been one of the strangest books I've read in some time. It was actually my first John Fowles novel and based on other comments appears to be an odd place to start. I found this book to be a very enjoyable read, the writing style and plot definitely dicked me in and I was always happy to pick it up. The conclusion is perhaps a little too open for me. I tend to prefer fixed ends but that's a personal preference. The prologue and epilogue were great, alot of the time these can be quite boring but in this case they really helped to understand the book. I'll try some more Fowles in the future I'm sure, probably some of his more well known work.