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The Woman in White

Wilkie Collins

Why we're reading this: 1. Free
2. Finished the Moonstone and enjoyed it
3. It keeps staring at me from the kobo start up screen
[close] 1. Free
2. Finished the Moonstone and enjoyed it
3. It keeps staring at me from the kobo start up screen

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Apr 18, 2012 Casey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, the-serious-lit, dear-ones

The Woman in White is a freaking awesome mystery novel. It's way better than any contemporary mystery novel, because not only are the characters put into hazardous situations while stuck in the middle of the country without cell phones, but they also don't have access to any kind of phone, or the internet, so it becomes hazardous for them to even try to tell other people what the hell is going on. Suspense!

Instead of recounting the plot of the novel, which would be inutile (it's too convoluted ...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Wilkie Collins was a contemporary of Charles Dickens, they were friends, and I expected something like a Dickens book. But I found Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE to be more in the style of JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS than any of Dickens’ books that I have read. I loved JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS when I was 12 and 13 years old, and now I know that I still would if I read them again. That is to say, I loved THE WOMAN IN WHITE.

This book is considered to be the first detective novel, called “s Wilkie Collins was a contemporary of Charles Dickens, they were friends, and I expected something like a Dickens book. But I found Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE to be more in the style of JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS than any of Dickens’ books that I have read. I loved JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS when I was 12 and 13 years old, and now I know that I still would if I read them again. That is to say, I loved THE WOMAN IN WHITE.

This book is considered to be the first detective novel, called “sensation fiction“ at the time. Walter Hartright, the main character, presents both his investigation of the conspiracy crime against Laura Fairlie and testimony of various witnesses. In this way, Collins uses multiple narrators to tell his story.

Fairlie is the young, innocent, and beautiful blond who marries the scoundrel, Sir Percival Glyde, even though she loves Hartright. Glyde and his friend, Count Fosco, scheme to take Fairlie's fortune. Hartright takes the law into his own hands to restore Fairlie’s name even if not her money. Of course, there’s much more depth to the story. But this is the center around which the mysteries revolve.

THE WOMAN IN WHITE is not only plot driven, though. The evil Count Fosco and the brave, intelligent Marian Halcombe are especial evidence of the characterization in this novel.

Remember when Collins described his characters, though, he was writing from the perspective of a male in the 1850s. So when he said, for instance, that Halcombe was masculine, he was probably referring to her qualities of bravery and outspokenness.

Fairlie is a character whose description Collins probably thought was positive. Yet her innocence during the 1850s would be seen as childish today. I thought she seemed stupid as well, frankly. (Other Fairlies are in THE WOMAN IN WHITE, but this review refers only to Laura Fairlie.)

But if you just accept Collins' characters and go with the story as written, with long sentences and too many commas, you'll know why it's a classic and love it as I do. ...more

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