Books: How did I miss it?

I caught the French Lieutenant's Wife on Public Broadcasting several days ago, the 2nd bit but missed the introduction.  It caused me to look up the leading actors and of course John Fowles.

One of the books that captured my imagination was Fowles, "The Magus," and although I've read most of his other books, I always thought this was his masterpiece and one of two handfuls of lifetime memorable reads.

Yet I missed that Fowles had passed away in 2005.  He was nearly 80 when he died yet I thought of him as very young, always young.

Strange, when I think of Fowles, I also think of A. S. Byatt, also on in years, and also a writer I always think of as university age.  But of course she's more than 70.

And it is in August I shall be getting another year closer to her age.