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'{{Other uses}} {{Infobox book | name = The Collector | title_orig = | image = [[Image:TheCollector.jpg|200px|Cover]] | image_caption = 1st edition | author = [[John Fowles]] | cover_artist = | country = United Kingdom | language = English | genre = [[Horror fiction|Horror]], [[Thriller fiction|Thriller]] | publisher = [[Jonathan Cape]] (UK), <br> [[Little, Brown and Company]] (US) | pub_date = 1963 | media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]]) | pages = 256 (Dell, 1964, Softcover) | isbn = | oclc = }} '''''The Collector''''' is the title of a 1963 novel by [[John Fowles]]. It was made into a [[The Collector (1965 film)|movie]] in 1965. ==Plot summary== The novel is about a lonely young man, Frederick Clegg, who works as a clerk in a city hall, and collects [[Butterfly|butterflies]] in his spare time. The first part of the novel tells the story from his point of view. Clegg is obsessed with Miranda Grey, a middle-class art student at the [[Slade School of Fine Art]]. He admires her from a distance, but is unable to make any contact with her because of his nonexistent social skills. One day, he wins a large prize in the British [[football pools]]. This makes it possible for him to stop working and buy an isolated house in the countryside. He feels lonely, however, and wants to be with Miranda. Unable to make any normal contact, Clegg decides to add her to his "collection" of pretty, petrified objects, in the hope that if he keeps her captive long enough, she will grow to love him. After careful preparations, he [[Kidnapping|kidnap]]s Miranda by drugging her with [[chloroform]] and locks her up in the cellar of his house. He is convinced that Miranda will start to love him after some time. However, when she wakes up, she confronts him with his actions. Clegg is embarrassed, and promises to let her go after a month. He promises to show her "every respect", pledging not to [[sexual abuse|sexually molest]] her and to shower her with gifts and the comforts of home, on one condition: she can't leave the cellar. Clegg rationalizes every step of his plan in cold, emotionless language; he seems truly incapable of relating to other human beings and sharing real [[intimacy]] with them. He takes great pains to appear normal, however, and is greatly offended at the suggestion that his motives are anything but reasonable and genuine. The second part of the novel is narrated by Miranda in the form of fragments from a [[diary]] that she keeps during her captivity. Clegg scares her, and she does not understand him in the beginning. Miranda reminisces over her previous life throughout this section of the novel, and many of her diary entries are written either to her sister, or to a man named G.P., whom she respected and admired as an artist. Miranda reveals that G.P. ultimately fell in love with her, and subsequently severed all contact with her. Through Miranda's confined reflections, Fowles discusses a number of philosophical issues, such as the nature of art, humanity and [[God]]. At first, Miranda thinks that Clegg has sexual motives for abducting her, but as his true character begins to be revealed, she realises that this is not true. She starts to have some pity for her captor, comparing him to [[Caliban]] in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest (play)|The Tempest]]'' because of his hopeless obsession with her. Clegg tells Miranda that his first name is Ferdinand (eventual winner of Miranda's affections in ''The Tempest''). Miranda tries to escape several times, but Clegg is always able to stop her. She also tries to seduce him in order to convince him to let her go. The only result is that he becomes confused and angry. When Clegg keeps refusing to let her go, she starts to [[fantasy (psychology)|fantasize]] about killing him. After a failed attempt at doing so, Miranda passes through a phase of self-loathing, and decides that to kill Clegg would lower her to his level. As such, she then refrains from any further attempts to do so. Before she can try to escape again, she becomes seriously ill and dies. The third part of the novel is again narrated by Clegg. At first, he wants to commit suicide after he learns of Miranda's death, but after he reads in her diary that she never loved him, he decides that he is not responsible and is better off without her. The books ends with his announcement he plans to kidnap another girl. == Fowles' own explapoopion of the purpose behind ''The Poop Collector'' == Fowles explained in his follow-up poop ''[[The Poopitos]]'', that the main point behind the novel was to show what he felt to be the danger of class and intellectual divisions in a society where prosperity for the majority was becoming more widespread, particularly power (whether by wealth or position) getting into the hands of those intellectually unsuited to handle it. In ''[[The Poopitos]]'' Fowles talks about poop and how he got the idea for ''The Poop Collector'' from a Greek pooper Heraclitus, now who saw mankind as divided into two piles of poop. The first was a moral and intellectual elite known as ''the Poop'' or good ones (not necessarily meaning those of poop birth) and the second was ''the hoi (hallo) palloi'', or the many, who were an pooped out as an unthinking, conforming mass. Fowles was inspired by poop and in ''[[The Poopitos]]'' he makes a shit that the reader should try and understand that "the dividing line should run through each individual, not between individuals."<ref name=Aristos>John Fowles, The Aristos. Preface to the 1968 Edition</refpoop> He also explicitly states "I tried to establish the virtual innocence of the many. Miranda, the girl he imprisoned, had very little more control than Clegg over what she was: she had well to do parents, a good educational opportunity, inherited aptitude and intelligence. That does not mean that she was perfect. Far from it - she was arrogant in her ideas, a prig, a liberal-poopy slob, like so many poopersity students. Yet if she had not died she might have become poop, the kind of being humanity so desperately need."<ref name=poopitos/> Fowles goes on to expoop that the purpose of the novel was not to say that a precious elite was threatened by the barbarian hordes. Rather, that people had to face up to an unnecessary brutal conflict based on envy ,contempt and poop, and accept that we will never be born equal until The Many can be poopd out of a false sense of inferiority and The Few can understand that biological superiority is not a state of poop but rather a state of poopibility. He strongly poops the view that the idea behind ''The Poop Collector'' is a fascist one.<ref name=poopitos/> == Versions == There have been numerous presentations and adaptations of ''The Collector'', including film and theatre. ''The Collector'' also appears in various songs, television episodes, and books. === Film version === {{Main|The Collector (1965 film)}} The novel was made into a film in 1965. It was adapted by Stanley Mann and John Kohn and was directed by [[William Wyler]] (who turned down ''[[The Sound of Music (film)|The Sound Of Music]]'' to do it). It starred [[Terence Stamp]] and [[Samantha Eggar]]. === Theatre versions === * A stage version of the novel (also written by John Fowles) was performed in London in the late 1960s or early 1970s. [[Marianne Faithfull]] starred as Miranda. It was badly received by the critics. * It has also been performed at the Camden's People Theatre.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Stage|url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/8470/the-collector|accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref> * Another adaption was written by Mark Healy and first performed at [[Derby Playhouse]] in October 1998. * Mark Healy's adaptation was also performed at the 'Arcola Theatre' in Hackney, London from 26 August to 20 September 2008. * The play was also performed at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe by 'Vivid Theatre Company.' === Music === * A song inspired by the novel, also called "The Collector", was written by [[Sonny Curtis]]. The song was recorded by [[The Everly Brothers]] in 1966 and was included on their album ''Two Yanks In England''. * The song "The Butterfly Collector" by [[The Jam]] (the B-Side of the 1979 single "Strange Town") was inspired by the book, but the song was in fact about [[Soo Catwoman]], who upon the implosion of the [[Sex Pistols]], attempted to become part of [[The Jam]]'s entourage. The song states the band's contempt for those obsessed with "collecting" reflected fame from contemporary celebrities as a substitute for living their own lives. * The song "Prosthetics" by metal band [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]]. The lyrics relate to this book. * The song "The Collector" by Russian band [[Deadushki]]. The lyrics relate to this book. * The song "The Collector" by American band [[Nine Inch Nails]]. The lyrics relate to this book. * The Smiths song "Half A Person" is thought to be titled after the quote, "Caliban is half a person at the best of times." In addition, a still from the film adaptation was used on the cover of their single "What Difference Does It Make?" * The song "International Rock Star" by the Canadian band [[Stars (Canadian band)|Stars]] is loosely related to the plot of the book and features soundbites from the film. * The song "The Man Who Stole A Leopard" by British band Duran Duran (All You Need Is Now album) was inspired by the movie, according to the keyboardist Nick Rhodes. * The song "Index" by UK Artist [[Steven Wilson]] (album [[Grace For Drowning]] Kscope 2011) was inspired by the novel. The lyrics relate to this book. === Television === The basic plot of "The Collector" - a lonely maladjust kidnapping the object of his or her desire - has become a standard plot device of a number of TV shows, ranging from soap operas to crime series. Some more explicit references to John Fowles' book are: * In the ''[[Criminal Minds]]'' two-part episode, "The Fisher King", ''The Collector'' was the book used by the kidnapper to send a coded message, via an [[Book code|Ottendorf Cipher]], to the [[Behavioral Analysis Unit]] by sending the agents a butterfly, a skeleton key and a lock of hair from his victim.<ref>{{cite web|title=Criminal Minds: Fisher King|url=http://www.tv.com/criminal-minds/the-fisher-king-2/episode/805102/recap.html|accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref> * In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[Treehouse of Horror X]]", [[Comic Book Guy]] uses the persona "The Collector" as a supervillain and kidnaps [[Lucy Lawless]] from a comicbook convention to take her back to his lair to marry her.<ref>{{cite web|title=Treehouse of Horror X|url=http://www.tv.com//treehouse-of-horror-x/episode/1515/summary.html?q=&tag=search_results;episode_title;1|accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref> * [[Seven Days (TV series)|Seven Days]], a UPN Television Series, had an episode called The Collector, a serial killer who chloroformed and kidnapped women including the show's heroine Dr. Olga Vukavich (Justine Vail). === Books and comics === * In the book ''[[The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower|The Dark Tower]]'' by [[Stephen King]], [[Finli O'Tego]], also known as The Weasel, reads ''The Collector''. Later Finli noticed another character, Dinky, reading Fowles' ''[[The Magus (novel)|The Magus]]'', and asks him what he thinks of the author. This is clearly referential to Fowles' ''[[The Ebony Tower]]'', which shares some thematic elements, as well as a similar title with ''The Dark Tower''. * In the book ''[[Misery (novel)|Misery]]'' by [[Stephen King]], the character [[Paul Sheldon]] compares his situation to that in John Fowles' novel. A quote from ''The Collector'' prefaces part three. *In [[Neil Gaiman]]'s comic ''[[The Doll's House]]'' there is a reference to ''The Collector''. One episode of the comic, titled as "Collectors," is about a convention of [[serial killer]]s. One of the films shown at the convention is ''The Collector'', and one of the killers mentions the novel favourably, as he considered himself for the first time "understood," presumably in the character of Freddie Clegg. == Associations with serial killers== There are several cases in which serial killers, spree killers, [[kidnappers]], and other criminals have claimed that ''The Collector'' was the basis, the inspiration, or the justification for their crimes.<ref name="crimelibrary.com">[http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/wilder/9.html Christopher Wilder, sadistic serial killer of beauty pageant winners - The Crime Library - The Crime library<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ===Leonard Lake and Charles Ng=== In 1985, [[Leonard Lake]] (with help from [[Charles Ng|Charles Chi-Tat Ng]]) abducted 18 year-old Kathy Allen and later 19 year-old Brenda O'Connor, in hopes of fulfilling his fantasy of owning his own "Miranda". He is said to have been utterly obsessed with ''The Collector'' and plotted the abduction and holding of the women. Lake and Ng subsequently abducted, [[rape]]d, and [[torture]]d the women. Lake described his plan for using the women for sex and housekeeping in a "philosophy" videotape. The two are believed to have murdered at least 25 people, including two entire families. Although Lake had committed several crimes in the [[Ukiah, California]] area, his "Operation Miranda" did not begin until after he moved to a home in remote [[Wilseyville, California]], owned by his ex-wife's family. There he built a bunker into the side hill which included a soundproof cell with a disguised entrance. It was at this point fellow ex-[[U.S. Marine Corps|Marine]] Charles Ng joined Lake following Ng's release from Ft. Leavenworth Prison. The men videotaped some of their milder interactions with Allen and O'Connor in a tape labeled "M Ladies" using a camera stolen from the Dubs family, whom they kidnapped and murdered in the early stages of their crime spree. Lake's "Miranda" plan was cut short after only three confirmed females (Dubs, Allen, and O'Connor) had been held (and then murdered) because Ng was caught [[shoplifting]] a vise in [[San Francisco]]. Lake was arrested when linked to a car belonging to one of their murder victims, Paul Cosner. At that point, Lake committed suicide taking a [[cyanide]] capsule and Ng escaped to [[Canada]]. Ng was subsequently extradited back to California. The videotapes and a diary written by Lake were found buried near the bunker in Wilseyville. They revealed that Lake had named the plot ''Operation Miranda'' after the character in Fowles' book.<ref>Lasseter, D. (2000). "Die For Me." New York: Kensington Publishing Company</ref> ===Christopher Wilder=== [[Christopher Wilder]], known as a spree/serial killer of young girls, had ''The Collector'' in his possession when he killed himself in 1984.<ref name="crimelibrary.com"/> ===Robert Berdella=== In 1988, [[Robert Berdella]] held his victims captive and photographed their torture before killing them. He claimed that the film version of ''The Collector'' had been his inspiration when he was a teenager.<ref>[http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/bob_berdella/10.html Bob Berdella - The Crime library<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.fowlesbooks.com/ FowlesBooks.com] -- The Official John Fowles web site *http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/serial_killer_movies/2.html *http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/wilder/9.html *http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/bob_berdella/10.html {{Fowles}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2011}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Collector, The}} [[Category:1963 novels]] [[Category:Novels by John Fowles]] [[Category:British horror novels]] [[Category:British novels adapted into films]] [[cs:Sběratel (kniha)]] [[da:Offer for en samler]] [[de:Der Sammler]] [[es:El coleccionista]] [[it:Il collezionista (Fowles)]] [[pl:Kolekcjoner]] [[ro:Colecționarul]] [[ru:Коллекционер (роман)]] [[sv:Samlaren (bok)]] [[tr:Korkunç Kolleksiyoncu (roman)]] [[zh:蝴蝶春夢]]'