The Magus by John Fowles. Short summary

5 seconds

Nicholas Erfe flees from reality. On a Greek island, he becomes the subject of an experiment by the psychologist Conchis. Returning to London, Erfe returns from the world of dreams to real life.

1 minute

Nicholas Erfe meets Alison in London. He hesitates to confess his love for her and leaves to work as a teacher on the island of Thraxos.

Erfe learns of the mysterious Maurice Conchis, the owner of Villa Burani. Conchis allows Nicholas to stay at the villa on the condition that he tell no one about it.

Conchis tells stories about the villa, and they come alive before Nicholas’s eyes like ghosts. He manages to catch such a «ghost.» It is the girl Julie. She admits that she is an actress working for Conchis. Nicholas falls in love with her.

A telegram arrives from Alison, offering to meet her in Athens. There Erfe blurts out to Alison about the villa and about Julie. Alison leaves and Nicholas learns of her suicide.

Returning to the island, Erfe does not find Julie. Conchis chides him for breaking the secret. Julie’s sister June reveals the truth to the guy — Conchis and she and her sister are psychologist doctors, and the whole thing was an experiment.

Erfe returns to London, where he meets Alison alive. He gets out of the fantasy world and into reality.