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Published in London by Jonathan Cape in 1963. First edition, indicated by statement "First Published 1963" on the copyright page. This copy is INSCRIBED by author in a tipped-in slip, "Ernest Rasdall/ Best Wishes/ John Fowles/ 20.viii.1966." Book fine. DJ near fine except for sunning on spine. DJ price is 18s net. We will provide a certificate of authenticity for this item.

The Collector is the debut novel of English author John Fowles. It was first published in 1963 by Jonathan Cape and is about a lonely young man, Frederick Clegg, who works as a clerk in a city hall and collects butterflies in his spare time. Clegg is infatuated with Miranda Grey, a middle-class art student at the Slade School of Art. Unable to make any contact with her but obsessed with his unrelenting desire, Clegg decides to add her to his 'collections' by kidnapping her and holding her captive in the cellar of his rural farmhouse. What follows is a chilling exploration of power, art, freedom, and the consequences of human actions.