The Woman in White By Wilkie Collins Illustrated Wilkie Collins Monty Books
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About The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Woman in White is Wilkie Collins' fifth published novel, written in 1859. It is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of "sensation novels". The story is sometimes considered an early example of detective fiction with the hero, Walter Hartright, employing many of the sleuthing techniques of later private detectives. The use of multiple narrators (including nearly all the principal characters) draws on Collins's legal training,and as he points out in his Preamble "the story here presented will be told by more than one pen, as the story of an offence against the laws is told in Court by more than one witness". In 2003, Robert McCrum writing for The Observer listed The Woman in White number 23 in "the top 100 greatest novels of all time",and the novel was listed at number 77 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.The Woman in White By Wilkie Collins Illustrated Wilkie Collins Monty Books
Often considered one of the first mystery novels, The Woman In White follows protagonist Walter Hartright, an art teacher, as he has a mysterious late night encounter on a London street with a lost woman, dressed all in white, who he later finds out had escaped from an asylum. The figure of this woman and the words they exchanged during their meeting come to haunt Walter, even as he accepts a job at Limmeridge House outside of London to instruct heiress Laura Farlie in art. Walter soon recognizes the astonishing resemblance between Laura and The Woman In White, and finds out that the mystery woman also used to live near Limmeridge and has connections to the Farlie family. You’ll have to read further to see how the story progresses, but the plot is quite complex, twisting and turning with elements of unrequited love, unhappy marriages, murder plots and overall very shady dealings.What I Liked
One of the main characters in the novel is Laura Farlie’s devoted half-sister and friend, Marion Halcombe. Marion and Walter act intermittently as the principal investigators of the mystery on which the novel is based, as they essentially ask and try to answer the very questions the reader is also wondering. I found Marion’s character in particular to be a very likeable one. She’s much more adventurous, proactive and strong than Laura, who is a bit of a damsel in distress throughout the novel. I also found Marion to be more likeable than Walter, because she’s more rational and less romantic. I essentially found her to be most like myself, simply wanting to uncover the truth and also to protect her friend in the difficult and even dangerous situations in which Laura finds herself.
I really appreciated the complexity with which the novel dealt with the themes of women’s inequality and lack of options in those times. The contrasting characters of Marion and Laura are the vehicles through which Collins addresses these issues. Marion is strong, opinionated and individualistic, but as she is not beautiful in a conventional sense and has no independent means, she’s very restricted in her ability to remove herself and Laura from harmful situations. For her part, Laura has beauty and a large inheritance, but her subservient, soft and yielding temperament is easily manipulated by others and she quickly loses her freedom to an unhappy marriage.
The plot of the novel overall was expertly written to keep the suspense and mystery going throughout, despite its over 700 pages. There were several twists to the narrative and the old English manor setting for most of the novel provided an optimal bleak and dreary backdrop. I was legitimately scared for the novel’s heroines Marion and Laura from the second half of the novel onwards, and I kept turning the page to see what else would happen to them or what more would be revealed about their antagonist’s intentions. Overall, it was a very captivating read, and I also really liked Collins’ technique of designating different narrators for different sections of the novel, as though they were retelling their recollections of what happened as witnesses before a court of law.
What I Didn’t Like
Without spoiling anything, there were two very evil male figures in the novel, who I felt were somewhat overly caricatured and at times not very believable. Towards the end of the novel one of the figures is also said to be involved with politics in a way that I think was kind of unnecessary to the plot – a bit thrown in there. At times, it was also hard to believe that Laura herself could be as passive as she was in the face of some of the circumstances she faced.
Final Verdict
A tragic, haunting tale about mistaken identities, unbelievable selfishness and cruelty, bust also true love and persevering friendship. A true classic.
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The Woman in White By Wilkie Collins Illustrated Wilkie Collins Monty Books Reviews
It is easy to understand why Wilkie Collins’ book has never been out of print since 1859 once you plunge into its spectacle. Victorian England serves as the setting. A drawing teacher is hired to tutor two affluent sisters. He forms a romantic attachment to the younger of the two and learns later to his chagrin that she is supposed to marry a man she doesn’t love. Collins shows the fragile nature of women in a male-dominated world. In this instance, the novel resembles a Jane Austin soap opera. The heroine is truly a damsel-in-distress. Her father wanted her to marry the despicable Percival Glyde, and she abides by his decision. Sir Percival strips Lady Glyde of all her financial worth to pay off his gambling debts. Collins created a first-class jackal of a villain with Sir Percival. The ultimate villain is the Italian born Count Fosco. Rotund Sidney Greenstreet played the role in the Warner Brothers adaptation. All of Collins’ characters stand out, even the viper-like Madame Fosco. Laura Glyde suffers heavily under a yoke of oppression when she balks at paying Sir Percival’s bills. Secrets play an important part in this sprawling novel. The villains are detestable and they suffer grievously for their conspiracy. One dies in a burning church, with the other is stabbed to death in the chest. Fortune favors the woebegone hero and heroines. The description of Sir Percival’s demise is stirring stuff. A great novel that I thought I might not get around to reading.
I never expected to love this book as much as I did and I'm so happy I tried it. It's a long one, so be prepared for that. Be prepared, also, for twists and turns and that slam you feel when you thought you knew what was going on and had it all figured out and you got the rug pulled out from under you!
This was written in that grand style English that you just don't find in modern literature. I adore reading it, and if you love the classics, and a good mystery, then this is for you. These people came from a different time, and what was considered a huge scandal years and years ago wouldn't raise an eyebrow today, so keep that in mind as you read. This is truly a different world. But, human nature is fairly consistent, and you will recognize in these characters, people you have read in more modern tomes, or even people you know yourself. They are well developed, complex characters that I enjoyed immensely. I love the dramatic swooning...the formal language...and a time in history when restraint was a highly regarded quality.
This edition was free...and won't cost you anything to give it a go. I'm sure you will be as engrossed as I was.
Often considered one of the first mystery novels, The Woman In White follows protagonist Walter Hartright, an art teacher, as he has a mysterious late night encounter on a London street with a lost woman, dressed all in white, who he later finds out had escaped from an asylum. The figure of this woman and the words they exchanged during their meeting come to haunt Walter, even as he accepts a job at Limmeridge House outside of London to instruct heiress Laura Farlie in art. Walter soon recognizes the astonishing resemblance between Laura and The Woman In White, and finds out that the mystery woman also used to live near Limmeridge and has connections to the Farlie family. You’ll have to read further to see how the story progresses, but the plot is quite complex, twisting and turning with elements of unrequited love, unhappy marriages, murder plots and overall very shady dealings.
What I Liked
One of the main characters in the novel is Laura Farlie’s devoted half-sister and friend, Marion Halcombe. Marion and Walter act intermittently as the principal investigators of the mystery on which the novel is based, as they essentially ask and try to answer the very questions the reader is also wondering. I found Marion’s character in particular to be a very likeable one. She’s much more adventurous, proactive and strong than Laura, who is a bit of a damsel in distress throughout the novel. I also found Marion to be more likeable than Walter, because she’s more rational and less romantic. I essentially found her to be most like myself, simply wanting to uncover the truth and also to protect her friend in the difficult and even dangerous situations in which Laura finds herself.
I really appreciated the complexity with which the novel dealt with the themes of women’s inequality and lack of options in those times. The contrasting characters of Marion and Laura are the vehicles through which Collins addresses these issues. Marion is strong, opinionated and individualistic, but as she is not beautiful in a conventional sense and has no independent means, she’s very restricted in her ability to remove herself and Laura from harmful situations. For her part, Laura has beauty and a large inheritance, but her subservient, soft and yielding temperament is easily manipulated by others and she quickly loses her freedom to an unhappy marriage.
The plot of the novel overall was expertly written to keep the suspense and mystery going throughout, despite its over 700 pages. There were several twists to the narrative and the old English manor setting for most of the novel provided an optimal bleak and dreary backdrop. I was legitimately scared for the novel’s heroines Marion and Laura from the second half of the novel onwards, and I kept turning the page to see what else would happen to them or what more would be revealed about their antagonist’s intentions. Overall, it was a very captivating read, and I also really liked Collins’ technique of designating different narrators for different sections of the novel, as though they were retelling their recollections of what happened as witnesses before a court of law.
What I Didn’t Like
Without spoiling anything, there were two very evil male figures in the novel, who I felt were somewhat overly caricatured and at times not very believable. Towards the end of the novel one of the figures is also said to be involved with politics in a way that I think was kind of unnecessary to the plot – a bit thrown in there. At times, it was also hard to believe that Laura herself could be as passive as she was in the face of some of the circumstances she faced.
Final Verdict
A tragic, haunting tale about mistaken identities, unbelievable selfishness and cruelty, bust also true love and persevering friendship. A true classic.
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