Fowles makes his plot intertwine in itself, laying it retired linearly initially, single to keep around it curl back in itself down the road by using the "that was what might have happened, or maybe this is what really'' happened." Along a way, he discourses in Victorian customs, a theories of Charles Darwin, and a poetry of Matthew Arnold.

Film
Around 1981, director Karel Reisz and playwright Harold Pinter sought to turn this story into a film. Instead of trying to produce the literal translation of the novel's surrogate endings, Pinter's screenplay adopted a further cinematic approach by revealing the story inside a story -- showing the endures of the actors world health organization portray Fowles's characters. A characters' story finishes a single way, a actors' a second.

A movie stars Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons and was directed by Karel Reisz. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Meryl Streep), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.