The Book Club - The Collector by John Fowles

The Collector by John Fowles is a psychological thriller that examines obsession, power, and the disgusting side of control. The novel is about Frederick Clegg, a socially awkward and lonely butterfly collector who is fixated on Miranda Grey, an art student. Failing to bond with her in any real sense, he kidnaps and keeps her imprisoned in a secluded cellar, hoping that she will learn to love him.

Written in alternating narratives—first from Clegg's cold, detached voice and then from Miranda's diary—it is a book that looks at the terrifying dynamic of captor and captive. As Miranda battles both physically and psychologically, the book climaxes into a haunting study of class, desire, and the nastiness lurking behind the veneer of mundane lives.