The French Lieutenant's Woman, written by John Fowles and published in 1969, is a postmodern novel set in Victorian England. The story follows Charles Smithson, an engaged Victorian gentleman, who becomes captivated by Sarah Woodruff, a mysterious woman ostracized by society for allegedly having a scandalous affair with a French sailor. As Charles pursues Sarah, he finds himself torn between Victorian conventions and personal freedom. The novel is renowned for its experimental narrative techniques, including an intrusive narrator and multiple alternative endings. Blending historical fiction with metafiction, it explores themes of love, social class, existential choice, and individual liberation.
