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Loading... The Woman in White (1859)by Wilkie Collins
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This one's been on my TBR for years, and it did not disappoint. Mysterious, possibly bananas, women walking around at night and just in the out-of-doors in general saying enigmatic and quirky things, drawing tutors falling for their students, possibly-evil-but-maybe-not? men, shady pasts filled with secrets, and strong women with strong sisterhoods. Excellently written and paced, and nicely twisty. I loved it. Really enjoyed this classic that was a pick of my RLBG. My I read it on our camping trip and since there was NO internet at the cabin, I was able to sink into the story the way a contemporary reader of the book would have. Collins wove together the various perspectives of the characters including police-style witness statements and created a suspenseful story of intrigue and deceit. The prose was old-fashioned but didn't really get into the way of the plot. DNF. I really tried to finish the Woman in white because it is supposedly a classic of the genre. The writing is so dated, overwrought, and tiresome I slogged halfway through and gave up. Life is too short. There was a lot to enjoy about this mystery written in 1859. Collins tells the tale of two sisters, Marian and Laura. Laura is engaged to be married to a baronet, but shortly before the wedding, she is warned that marrying him would be a terrible idea. On this premise, hinges a very complex plot. In my mind, the plot collapses a bit under its own convoluted weight, but the characters themselves are very entertaining, and on that lies the strength of the book. Collins also uses a method to tell the story that was interesting. It is told in a strictly linear fashion, but using the voices and perspectives of different characters. I've certainly read tons of books that use first person narratives from the different characters, but I can't recall one adhering to linear timeline in quite the same way. All in all, I found this book to use a level of detail that creates a feeling that it all could have really happened, but also causes the book to drag on a bit at points. Fortunately, Collins is pretty skilled at using suspense, such that the book begs to be finished despite the length. Belongs to Publisher SeriesAmstelboeken (40-41) — 23 more Everyman's Library (464) Gli Oscar [Mondadori] (1111) Oxford English Novels (1860) Penguin Clothbound Classics (2009) Penguin English Library, 2012 series (2012-11) Le porte [Fazi] (27) SaPo (152) The World's Classics (226) Is contained inContainsIs retold inHas the (non-series) sequelIs an adaptation ofHas the adaptationIs abridged inDoré's London: All 180 Images from the Original London Series with Selected Writings by Valerie Purton One hundred best novels condensed: 3 of 4 see note: Adam Bede; Tess of the D'Urbervilles; Don Quixote; East Lynne; Count of Monte Cristo; Paul and Virginia; Tom Brown's School Days; Waverley; Dombey and Son; Romola; Legend of Sleepy Hollow; Last of the Mohicans; Wreck of the "Grosvenor"; Right of Way; Coniston; Far from the Madding Crowd; Woman in White; Deemster; Waterloo; Hypatia; Kidnapped; Oliver Twist; Gil Blas; Peg Woffington; Virginians by Edwin Atkins Grozier InspiredHas as a studyHas as a student's study guide
Classic Literature.
Fiction.
HTML: The Woman in White is credited with being the first of the sensation novels, and one of the finest examples of the genre. A young woman's husband defrauds her of her fortune, her identity and eventually her sanity. She is saved by her sister and a loyal man who loves her, and her two rescuers attempt to expose her husband. They meet a woman dressed all in white whose fate seems curiously intertwined with that of the young woman. In the tradition of the sensation novel, the story contravenes boundaries of class, identity and the private and public spheres. .No library descriptions found.
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![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.8Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Victorian period 1837-1900LC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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It is a defining example of the Sensation Novel—a genre that combines elements of Gothic fiction, melodrama, sentimental domestic drama, and topical crime narrative. The plotting is complex, employing multiple narrative points of view. Its structure reminded me of the House of Representatives presentation in the January 6 Capitol riot investigation. The Woman in White has some notable characters—especially Marian Halcombe, who received marriage proposals from readers hoping she was drawn from life.
Collins tells the story clearly, without many literary flourishes, but it still chills. It has inspired a surprising number of movies, TV series, radio dramas, and even a musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Its themes involving gender performance, identity theft, and social class still resonate. Victorian England was what W. H. Auden called the twentieth century--an “age of anxiety.” Nothing was as stable as it seemed. In Collins’ novel, every household has secrets that would shock its neighbors. Everyone’s nerves are frayed. Incurable illnesses threaten. Everyone lies.
No wonder we still read it—still a strong four stars. (