British novelist. His richly allusive and descriptive works combine psychological probings--chiefly of sex and love--with an interest in the social and philosophical context of human behavior. His first novel, The Collector (1963; film, 1965), about a shy man who kidnaps a girl in a hapless search for love, was followed by The Magus (1966; film, 1968) and The French Lieutenant's Woman (1969; film, 1981), his most famous work, set in Victorian England. Later works include The Ebony Tower (1974) and Daniel Martin (1977).
Obtained from the Britannica Concise encyclopedia reference.
