Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2002. Vol. 3. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 29)

Tibor Tóth: Fiction as the 'River Between': Daniel Martin

FICTION AS THE 'RIVER BETWEEN': DANIEL MARTIN 63 Similarly Daniel Martin has to understand that he sacrificed traditionally human institutions like marriage, friendship and professional dedication on the altar of false judgements, which nevertheless are valid, accepted and powerful in the world of success. Yet, the title hero senses that money, success and international reputation as established authority in the film industry do not allow for dimensions which are natural in the world of a novelist who is dedicated to fiction the 'Cinderella' in the world mass-produced art. When he calls the novel a 'Cinderella' form of art John Fowles explains that for most novelists to have their fiction filmed is the equivalent of having a luxury hard cover edition published. Yet, we should remember that he hastens to add that novel writing can offer a privacy, and fidelity to the 'muse' or inspiration which film industry can never achieve.

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1 The novel is not so pessimistic as some critics understood it to be, what is more, we could say that it is, so far, the first from among John Fowles's novels, which has a happy ending. As we have already stated the frustration of the reader stems from the intentionally 'mistaken' choice of technique, the discomfort brought about by the wrong means employed for the wrong art an aspect that is explicit in the narrative technique of the novel. The tyranny of success and money is also given comprehensive presentation and its seemingly unquestionable dominance comes to be reduced as the protagonist manages to identify his 'roots' and 'reactivate' them. In Daniel Martin mass-dehumanisation is more comprehensively handled than in The Collector and the process is envisaged as reversible. The title hero of the novel can take the road he earlier abandoned for money, success or what seemed to be a more rewarding form of existence as the novel Daniel Martin is writing manages to disclose its roots, and this process is not delayed by the author. When John Fowles admits his association with the art of Thomas Hardy in the first chapter of Daniel Martin he makes it clear that return to tradition is possible mainly owing to the life force contained by that tradition. 1

1 Fowles, John. 1988. "A Modern Writer's France." In Wormholes, 43-55. London: Jonathan Cape, 1999, 43.