In this study Susana Onega probes the thematic and ideological bases that suffuse the works of John Fowles as a whole. The study demonstrates that for all the differences in style and subject matter, Fowles' six full-length novels are best described as variations of a unique text that provides for alternative and complementary readings. The study also makes clear that, beneath the metafictional paraphernalia of parody, pastiche, and mazelike plot involutions, it is possible to detect a simple scheme that occurs in each novel, achieving its most accomplished form in A Maggot. The book includes as an appendix an extensive interview with the novelist.