born March 31, 1926, Leigh upon Sea, Essex, Eng.
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 behaviour. 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; film made for television, 1984) and Daniel Martin (1977).