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    The Woman in White
    The Woman in White
    The Woman in White
    Audiobook3 hours

    The Woman in White

    Written by Wilkie Collins and Richard G. Lewis

    Narrated by Multiple Narrators

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    The woman in white first appears at night on a lonely heath near London and is next seen at a grave-side in Cumberland. Who is she? Where has she come from, and what is her history? She seems alone and friendless, frightened and confused. And it seems she knows a secret - a secret that could bring ruin and shame to a man who will do anything to keep her silent. This famous mystery thriller by Wilkie Collins has excitement, suspense, romance, and a plot that twists and turns on every page.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOxford University Press
    Release dateNov 29, 2007
    ISBN9780194211048
    Author

    Wilkie Collins

    William Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and more than 100 essays. His best-known works are The Woman in White and The Moonstone.

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    Reviews for The Woman in White

    4/5

    3,003 ratings191 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I read this as an ebook, in bits and pieces over the course of several months. Probably that does not do it justice, but I suspect that if I’d tried to read it through, I would have got tired of it and quit. It’s written in a leisurely 19th century style, often stopping to explore and comment on a character’s thoughts and emotions, which greatly slows the pacing. I can imagine it being read aloud in a drawing room after supper, with the family enjoying the different voices, gasping in horror at the villainy of some of the characters and cheering on the plucky heros. This is probably how Wilkie Collins expected it to be read, and it would probably work best as a melodramatic entertainment with a good reader. (Apparently there are 15 versions of this at Audible.com.)To enjoy this kind of pacing, I think there has to be more going on than the simple, if mysterious, plotting in this book. But the characters are one-dimensional and the themes are obvious. There’s not really a lot to think about here. In that sense, it’s a bit like a superficial television detective serial. Entertainment, perhaps but mindless and not very engaging.What is interesting to see is the moral absoluteness of the heroic characters. The heroes are gentlemen of honour, who would not consider going back on their word, or questioning another gentleman’s honor. Women, to them, are sacrosanct, gentle beings to be elevated and protected. This makes the bad guys particularly villainous when they abuse their wives or deceive others for money. They all speak in restrained, elevated language, making the weakness of the one who loses his temper quite unspeakable. Fortunately for the English readership, the most evil of the bad guys is Italian, explaining his absolute lack of moral character and his odd habits.The characters of the few women are also interesting, except perhaps for the central object, one of two women in white. She, the object of the hero’s attention, is helpless, frequently sickly, and doting – the Victorian stereotype of the adored, delicate, angelic female. By contrast, her poor half-sister is energetic, intelligent, resourceful and strong. She does draw the admiration of the males, but only the most villainous of the bad guys is attracted to her, and in spite of her evident love for the hero and his admiration of her, she loses out to the cute one. If this book doesn’t have the outright racism of Collins’ Moonstone, it makes up for it in sexist stereotyping. Along with these black and white human values are the social and political values implicit in the text, such as the repeated references to the unimpeachable British systems of justice and democracy (especially when the villainous Italian Count Fosco extols their superiority). The highest values are reserved for the educated upper classes, while the lower classes are described as ignorant and crude.These same faults are common in other writers of 19th century fiction. Dickens drags out exposition, examines his characters thinking, deals in idealized stereotypes – but he does it with greater substance and style. His depth of detail and character – even for exaggerated characters – draws a reader in, and his emotion creates sympathy. This is lacking in Collins. So for me, this is enough of Wilkie Collins – when I want a leisurely 19th century read, I’ll turn to Dickens, George Eliot or one of their contemporaries.
    • 5/5
      Finally. That took me months to read, not because I didn't enjoy it but just everything else that got in the way. I tried it on audio, it didn't stick so I set it down forever. Then I switched to kindle and got insanely busy. Finally got it finished though. It was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it. I'll definitely be reading more Wilkie Collins in the future, but it may be just a little bit before I get to them.
    • 5/5
      Strongly developed characters, intricate and well developed plot, clever use of narrative, and wonderfully suspenseful. All of these elements, plus the social critique that runs throughout, kept me reading this 600+ page book. The Victorian melodrama was a bit much, but the positives more than compensated for my low tolerance for melodrama.Favorite quote: "The best men are not consistent in good -- why should the worst men be consistent in evil?"This quote refers to the villainous Count Fosco, one of the most disturbing characters in literature.
    • 4/5
      Very good thriller from the 19th century. Written from different narratives.
    • 4/5
      This book was an excellent read despite its age. The writing style was very appealing and forthright and quite amusing in places. I liked the way the narrative swapped between those involved. There were many interesting twists and turns and my only disappointment was that the "secret" wasn't that big a deal (but perhaps in its time it was)
    • 5/5
      I loved everything about this book: the alluring appeal of a classic mystery, the carefully measured (yet far from dull) tone of narration, the touching love story fraught with seemingly unsurmountable perils, the way the story is told by different personages involved (shedding light on each of their personalities so perfectly), the altogether engrossing story line... I never once got bored while reading this large volume of a book. A great piece of writing!
    • 4/5
      I have spent the past week with this wonderful wordy trip back in time. The book created quite a sensation when it was released in serialization (hence the wordiness) both in England and the U.S. in 1859. It grabbed my attention with the first line: "This is the story of what a woman's patience can endure, and what a man's resolution can achieve." I find it interesting that Collins begins with the characteristics of women and men because I have a bone to pick with Mr. C. Why on earth does he have to portray Laura Fairlie as beautiful, though spineless and witless in contrast to her half-sister Marian Halcombe who is homely while being spunky, engaging, and bright? Or as Walter Hartright noted to himself at their first meeting: the lady is dark, the lady is young, "the lady is ugly."Now I really liked this book, just did not care for the way the women were denigrated. Other than the brilliant Marian, the only intelligent female in the book was Nina the Greyhound who uncharacteristically growled at Sir Percival. Well, maybe I can forgive the treatment of women because of the smattering of humor. Uncle Fairlie's exaggerated pomposity and drama had me laughing out loud.As to plot, let's just say that it is a dark tale of thwarted love, greed, and suspense. I loved the eerieness of the ghost-like Woman In White, and was almost disappointed when her identity was revealed. It seemed like the details of the conspiracy and the mystery of the Secret was too contrived and plodding. Hint: any time the word "secret" is capitalized in a book, its revelation will be a let-down.My edition of this book is 617 pages. Now if that is all the fault I can find with it, you can see that 95% of this book was totally engaging. I have The Moonstone queued up to read later this year.
    • 5/5
      My introduction to Wilkie Collins was a wonderful experience. Combining the manners and manors of 19th century Britain with a bit of modern mystery, this book reads quicker than you might expect. In fact, Wilkie Collins was cutting edge with his style of mysteries--this is no case for a detective, just a regular guy trying to figure something out. I'm not real big on detective or mystery stories, but this was a lot of fun.
    • 5/5
      This book is a Victorian "mystery" told by multiple narrators. It is a great read, albeit long. 1005 pages
    • 5/5
      This book is a Victorian "mystery" told by multiple narrators. It is a great read, albeit long. 1005 pages
    • 3/5
      This was an audiobook.I rate the novel as 3*I rate the presentation as 2.5I felt as if I was standing outside a room with a TV playingIt was less than engaging
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book. Collins is not a great writer, but he sure knows how to tell a story -- for me, this was a complete page-turner.
    • 5/5
      The Woman in White, first published in 1859–1860, is right up there with The Moonstone as the best known of Wilkie Collins' works. Written from various characters' viewpoints in letters and diary entries, this novel is a brilliantly executed and suspenseful tale of hidden crimes, madness, money, and Victorian-style identity theft.Please be warned there are spoilers in this review, though I've tried to play coy on the really big ones.Collins masterfully keeps his readers turning the pages. Feverishly, I might add. I can't imagine reading this in serial form — well, maybe I can (it would be rather like watching an addictive and gripping TV show every week, wouldn't it?). Even though Collins puts Marian's big discovery fairly early, the tension is still incredible. It's ironic that the Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of this story would move that discovery back to make it more of a dramatic climax (rather than revealing it so quickly as Collins does) and still manage to be insipid next to the novel. I've watched it twice and the second time was just as disappointing as the first, whereas I thoroughly enjoyed my second time reading the book and will eventually reread it yet again.Collins' characters are rich and varied. Marian Halcombe deserves top billing as one of the strongest female characters to emerge in Victorian literature. Highly intelligent, forthright, not given to weeping or fainting, and physically unbeautiful, Marian is the kind of character you read a little faster to get to. Much of the story is told in her voice and it's fascinating how she and the other characters perceive her strong qualities as decidedly masculine; she is constantly described as "mannish" and whenever she does display any kind of weakness, she puts it down to being a woman. I suppose it gives feminists fits, but despite the language Marian really is an incredible character and the Victorian audience simply wouldn't have understood her in terms other than "masculine" and "mannish." Perhaps Collins himself couldn't articulate her nature differently.And you just have to love Collins' foreigners. I think my favorite is still Herre Grosse from Poor Miss Finch, but Professor Pesca is delightful too. "Right-all-right!" Count Fosco is, of course, a foreigner too but he wears his foreignness in much less noticeable ways. He's learned to polish it up and use it only when it is to his advantage. Enormously fat, utterly charming, and endlessly cunning, Fosco is a complex character whose motives are as puzzling as his methods. Sir Percival Glyde is his foil, of course, and Glyde's clumsy villainy only makes Fosco's deep scheming all the more worrying. Collins once said that he imagined Count Fosco as an excessively fat man in order to defy the then-current convention of the skeletally thin evildoer. The ability to be a bad guy isn't limited to a single body type!If you've been wanting to try a good Victorian novel to see if they really are all that, The Woman in White is a great place to start. Once you get into it you'll find it hard to put down. For sensational fiction, the Victorians still hold their own with any modern author, and Collins more than most. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that I recommend frequently. Gothic wonderfulness!
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable classic mystery
    • 4/5
      I loved this book by Wilkie Collins. It has everything that I like in a good story: mystery, intrigue, good guys, bad guys, romance and a happy ending. This Gothic tale also had a plot that was thrilling and suspenseful. It was rather long and I'm sure could have been cut back for an even more enjoyable read. But if you like this type of book then I recommend you should read this one.
    • 5/5
      Still has the same feeling, I had while I was reading this when I was younger!!
    • 5/5
      I first read The Woman in White in 2006 – it was the first Wilkie Collins book I ever read and the one that turned me into a huge fan of his work. I just wish I had discovered him sooner!So what is it about? I won't go into the plot in too much detail, as I don't want to spoil the fun for those of you who haven't read it yet. The story begins with drawing master Walter Hartright's meeting on a lonely London road with a mysterious woman dressed all in white who has escaped from an Asylum. The next day Walter takes up a teaching position at Limmeridge House in Cumberland where he finds that one of his students, Laura Fairlie, bears a striking resemblance to the woman in white…The novel follows an epistolary style, meaning it is narrated by several different characters in turn. I love the way Collins gives each of his narrators a unique 'voice' - he really makes the characters come alive. Another thing I love about Wilkie Collins' writing is his sense of humour…some of the scenes involving Laura's hypochondriac uncle Mr Fairlie are hilarious!Marian Halcombe, Laura Fairlie's sister, is one of my favourite female characters in literature. Contrary to the usual portrayal of 19th century women, she is a brave, intelligent, courageous person who on several occasions puts herself in danger in order to protect her sister Laura. Another great character is Count Fosco. One of the most unusual and memorable villains I've ever encountered in any book, he's an old, fat, opera-loving Italian completely devoted to his pet canaries and white mice. The Woman in White is an example of the genre known as sensation fiction - including elements such as forgery, identity theft and insanity. Although it was written in the 19th century it's as exciting and gripping as a modern day thriller - even when reading the book for the second time and knowing what was going to happen! It's a long book but there's enough tension and suspense to keep the reader interested right through to the end. There are some classics that are a struggle to read but you persevere with them simply because they're classics and you feel as if you should. The Woman in White does not fall into that category - yes, it's a classic but it's also one of the most readable and enjoyable books I've ever read.
    • 4/5
      Wonderfully florid prose written by a master storyteller at his peak. This book tells a great story, has two heroines, two villains and two dramatic finales.
    • 5/5
      I am late in getting around to reading anything by Wilkie Collins. Published originally in serial form 1859/60 this strikes me as being quintessentially a Victorian novel. Wordy of course, slow moving, atmospheric in describing a world that has largely vanished: pre-motor car, servants, train timetables, letter writing, human messenger services and a rigid class system. The narrative has been painstakingly put together in an epistolary format as the mystery slowly unfolds. I cannot add much to the hundreds of reviews of this novel, but my first impression of Collins as a Victorian novelist is that he is not amongst the greatest authors of that era, but this is a minor quibble in what is a thoroughly entertaining story. 4.5 stars.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Close to the end of this, my 2nd Collins (I recently read The Moonstone) in the past few months. Probably too much Collins ... I don't know. Something about this one is irritating me and this has transformed lately into a desire to get it done ... I wish I could ID the thing(s) that is|are bugging me, but so far whatever it is, is elusive. Perhaps it is just impatience: a desire to see the slimy villains get their just reward -- which I'm afraid won't be as vile as I'm wanting it to be -- and have everyone just shut the fuck up and stop being so goddamned helpless in the face of their machinations. How long can you keep saying to yourself "will someone just smash in Sir Percival Glyde's face for him right now?"
    • 3/5
      Good start but then it get very longwinded and conveluted and far fetched.
    • 4/5
      A novel in three parts. The first part reads especially dull, and a third of the way in it still doesn't appear as though anything of consequence is happening. This is because Collins is masterfully telling his reader a story while concealing it from his narrators, and without making them look like idiots for not seeing it. If you're not watching the clues and merely taking what the narrators say at face value, you could be hoodwinked too. So far, so good. The second part brings a strong element of suspense into play; there's a clear sense that something is happening, or could happen, or is about to happen, but there's no telling exactly what until it's sprung. A bit frustrating. The third part is devoted to seeing whether the trap can be unsprung, or is it already too late? A hundred and fifty years ago, this literary slight-of-hand wasn't considered too much to ask of the general reading population. Now there's the added advantage of being able to trust in this novel's well-regarded reputation and receiving what's in store. You'll have to deal with an author who wants to play games with you, exacerbated by the extraordinarily high degree of telling rather than showing, so that what we are not told affects our understanding all the more. Collins only occasionally tips his hand, as when Marian carefully destroys dangerous letters but only after recording their contents in her diary, which she does not destroy. This nonsense is only done for the purpose of sharing the letters with the reader. Collins also employs the weak women motif for plot convenience, having them slip into a faint or fugue, suffer from amnesia, etc. for the least cause and whenever it suits his needs. Or is even that more suspicious than it appears?This novel's cloak-and-dagger narration was regarded as a creative and effective means of generating suspense. It made Collins' name famous and spawned a host of imitators, with examples continuing to this day. Either you appreciate all of the tricks Collins employs, or you resent it at least a little. I like a surprise as much as the next person, but if I were manipulated to this degree in any modern work I'd find it frustrating. Fortunately I approach the classics with more patience and earned this one's rewards.
    • 4/5
      I started reading this last year even though I’m claiming it as my second book for 2022. It’s unnecessarily long, however speech back then did tend to be long winded. The gentry had time on their hands and a jolly good conversation or some lengthy correspondence was one way of filling the day. They loved to use language and words and Collins writes with a similar flourishing style. It’s a complicated mystery with lots of deceit and sinister intrigue. Quite a big cast of main characters, all well drawn and in spite of all the flourishes, I enjoyed it and can now cross it off my Classics list!
    • 5/5
      I am very glad I read this book and it has immediately propelled Wilkie Collins to a high position in my reading plans. Although I read English literature at university, and have been buying books in antiquarian bookstore since I was 14 or 15, I had never heard of or any clear idea of this Victorian author. I suppose in the 1980s this author was of less interest. The cover page of this edition suggest that The woman in white wasn't included in the Penguin Classics series until 1999. In 2004, I skim read The Moonstone for a publishing project, but the author did not register much in my consciousness, and I did not count The Moonstone as a have-read.Two years ago, I had a failed attempt at reading The woman in white. I enjoyed it tremendously, but got lost after about 130 pages, that is shortly after the end of the first narrative. The introduction already had me confused about the characters. Mistaken identity, and character likeness are important parts of the story and bringing all those names together in such a short space, the introduction was more confusing than clarifying. The woman in white also has a very unusual narrative structure, unlike any other novels, except some other works by Collins. The narrative consists in successive witness depositions, sometimes letters or fragments of diaries that together, more or less chronologically, and with minimal interruption present a flowing narrative. Although the introduction talked about it, I wasn't fully prepared and with the switch of the narrative, I got lost. I couldn't follow it because it did not answer to my expectations, so I abandoned it. Picking it up again two years later, merited a full re-read from the beginning.I do not fear spoilers, so usually read the introduction to novels before reading the book. However, in this case the introduction worked counterproductive, confusing me. It would have been better not to have read the introduction first. Obviously, the novel itself can perfectly well be read and understood without academic introduction.The woman in white is a very big, and also a great novel. I am not particularly interested in detective stories. The woman in white is characterized as a forerunner of the genre. Besides, the story contains so many other highlights and is of such psychological depth that it need not be categorized as a detective novel. Although the novel has more than 600 pages, it is an enticing read, and the narrative structure invigorates the plot compelling the reader on. The story is full of action, particularly in the last part of the novel, where an increase of plot events help propel the story.The woman in white presents the reader with great prose, wonderful descriptions. Apart from a compelling plot, the novel presents a number of unforgettable characters. Some characters have all the sense and sensibility of Jane Austen's characters, while other characters are as peculiar as some of Charles Dickens's characters. The evil characters are Faustian and Falstaffian, and the novel might as well be characterized as high Gothic fiction.This was my first novel by Wilkie Collins and deemed a five-star read.
    • 5/5
      I love this novel. Collin's book, "The Woman in White" is known for it's vivid, complex descriptions on everything, and for it's ability to be a teaching tool for another century of writers in mystery.

      But While the story is very gothic in nature, it may turn off some readers. Some people just don't understand how a mid-9th century author will write; the descriptions, the conversations, the ideas, and the reiterations are all pondered at great length.

      Reading a novel like this, in today's society, where instant gratification is the King - well that will probably being tedious and boring for most. So in order to truly appreciate Collins' writing, one must put themselves in the shoes of the 19th century reader's standards. Most people in this era knew little of life outside their tiny lives, or small, insular towns. Only the rich get to travel, and experience other cultures, and lots of other people. There was a need for long explanations and descriptions, as it was the only way for a reader to experience things beyond the norm. Even the most poor of the populace could find a copy of the periodical this novel, and many others, appeared in, and would be riveted on every single word.

      So readers who enjoy the beauty of the written word, for just itself, and for long, flowing cadances in a paragraph, will revel in this amazing story. Those who are more story-driven will need to exercise their patience at least a few times throughout the book. The story itself is immaculate; just dark enough to enthrall a reader without being terrifying for those who are not used to it, and not graphic enough for young people to also read/hear about. It is couched in a style that is long forgotten, for most.

      Meanwhile, for those of us Bibliophiles who don't mind a "period piece", love going back in time once in a while, to the 19th century. It is good for you.
    • 3/5
      I come to this book having already having read Wilkie Collins's novel The Moonstone. Because of this, I found his use of multiple narrators repetitive and not as well done, which is admittedly unfair as The Moonstone is a later novel and reflects his greater experience with the technique (not to mention what I thought was a more natural explanation for the employment of the multiple retrospective accounts). Still, I found The Woman in White inferior in other respects as well; the central mystery was less engaging and the lack of a protagonist on the level of Sgt. Cuff telling (the character best suited to play this role, Marian, is effectively put in a position where she has to rely on the far less interesting Hartright to resolve their problems). Though it would have been to the earlier novel's credit to have read it first, but then I don't know if I would have been as motivated to read The Moonstone afterward.

      Reading all of this might leave you with the impression that I didn't like the novel, which is far from the truth; I found it to be enjoyably written, with sympathetic characters and a plot that kept me engaged to the final page. I'm glad to have read it, and will probably return to it in the future. That being said, though, I would recommend readers interested in exploring Collins's works to begin with The Moonstone which is a leaner and more interesting work than this one.
    • 5/5
      I read this book because Nora Ephron was quoted in several places talking about how much she liked it. And what's good for Nora is good for me! Although my involvement with this book lasted longer than most relationships I've had (I don't often read 700 page books) it was worth it. Serialized novels of this type were the soap operas of their day, and I felt at times that I just had to know how it would turn out. A great book for anyone who feels guilty about never having read Dickens.
    • 5/5
      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.