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o_tulp's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
lauraborkpower's review
3.0
The epistolary/diary style narrative, tense atmosphere, and well developed cast of characters make this a great read, but I can't give it four stars because, at the end of the day, it is also a frustrating read.
It's frustrating because of the absolute powerlessness of our characters, especially our female characters Marion and Laura. Now, I don't mind that they're powerless. In fact it's this very powerlessness makes it a true tale of horror alongside stories like Rosemary's Baby and The Lady Vanishes where the female characters are manipulated, psychologically tortured, betrayed, and made to think that they are crazy. I love stories like this; I find them to be much more terrifying than stories of ghosts or monsters (although yes, Rosemary's Baby is a monster story, but that's not what makes it so scary). But, because The Woman in White is a product of its time, the women cannot overcome their situation or their nemesis alone. They must use a man--albeit a man who we as readers are rooting for--to do the work for them.
Even Marion, who is a strong and independent female character and easily the heroine of Collins's story, is only allowed to live because of Count Fosco. He admires her (and loves her) so that he helps her to live when she comes down with fever and tuberculosis. He reads her diary and makes notes about, essentially, how *cute* it is. And it is Fosco who ultimately holds the power to confess his deeds in writing and give Marion's sister Laura her identity back.
And then we realize that Laura wouldn't have even inherited Limmeridge House if she'd not had a male child. (And did anyone notice that as soon as Walter and Laura get married he almost exclusively refers to her as "my wife" instead of using her name? Come on, Walt.)
Now, none of this is surprising given the book's historical context. But it's still irritating. Yes, I enjoyed the book; it's well written, well narrated (Bailey and Prebble are great), and a solid mystery. But if I want this kind of tense frustration from a novel again, I'll stick with Ethel Lina White and her female protagonist who gets shit done and saves her own day.
It's frustrating because of the absolute powerlessness of our characters, especially our female characters Marion and Laura. Now, I don't mind that they're powerless. In fact it's this very powerlessness makes it a true tale of horror alongside stories like Rosemary's Baby and The Lady Vanishes where the female characters are manipulated, psychologically tortured, betrayed, and made to think that they are crazy. I love stories like this; I find them to be much more terrifying than stories of ghosts or monsters (although yes, Rosemary's Baby is a monster story, but that's not what makes it so scary). But, because The Woman in White is a product of its time, the women cannot overcome their situation or their nemesis alone. They must use a man--albeit a man who we as readers are rooting for--to do the work for them.
Even Marion, who is a strong and independent female character and easily the heroine of Collins's story, is only allowed to live because of Count Fosco. He admires her (and loves her) so that he helps her to live when she comes down with fever and tuberculosis. He reads her diary and makes notes about, essentially, how *cute* it is. And it is Fosco who ultimately holds the power to confess his deeds in writing and give Marion's sister Laura her identity back.
And then we realize that Laura wouldn't have even inherited Limmeridge House if she'd not had a male child. (And did anyone notice that as soon as Walter and Laura get married he almost exclusively refers to her as "my wife" instead of using her name? Come on, Walt.)
Now, none of this is surprising given the book's historical context. But it's still irritating. Yes, I enjoyed the book; it's well written, well narrated (Bailey and Prebble are great), and a solid mystery. But if I want this kind of tense frustration from a novel again, I'll stick with Ethel Lina White and her female protagonist who gets shit done and saves her own day.
rmperash's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
remilauren's review against another edition
4.0
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins is considered of the finest sensational mystery works of the times. In a novel style of writing, we are the judge of the crimes as the protagonist Walter Hartwright documents the witness notes. The story unfolds in the voices of multiple characters just as a legal proceeding would.
Walter Hartwright, an art teacher is tasked to teach young girls at Limmeridge. On his way, he encounters a strangely dressed woman, whom he helps escape. Upon reaching, he discovers that this woman bears a striking resemblance to one of his students, Laura Fairlie, the heiress of Limmeridge. The story traverses the lives of Hartwright, Laura and Marian, how they part to lead separate lives but unite again for a cause.
The story paints a grim picture of how women were merely seen as wealthy objects to be inherited, how little the laws could help a married woman. Our protagonists are pitched against wealthy resourceful men, and left without money to initiate a proceeding in court, they are forced to take this route to ensure justice prevails.
Thought there are several characters narrating, the two main voices are of Hartwright and Marian. She is so dedicated to her sister that she goes out of her way and does things no woman would think of doing in those times. She's smart, witty and determined, so much so that she's admired by the villain of the story!!
While reading, bear in mind that this piece of work written years ago. We have advanced a lot in terms of technology and thus the plot may sound simple. But it's beautifully woven, has a lot of enjoyable elements and overall a great book to read.
Walter Hartwright, an art teacher is tasked to teach young girls at Limmeridge. On his way, he encounters a strangely dressed woman, whom he helps escape. Upon reaching, he discovers that this woman bears a striking resemblance to one of his students, Laura Fairlie, the heiress of Limmeridge. The story traverses the lives of Hartwright, Laura and Marian, how they part to lead separate lives but unite again for a cause.
The story paints a grim picture of how women were merely seen as wealthy objects to be inherited, how little the laws could help a married woman. Our protagonists are pitched against wealthy resourceful men, and left without money to initiate a proceeding in court, they are forced to take this route to ensure justice prevails.
Thought there are several characters narrating, the two main voices are of Hartwright and Marian. She is so dedicated to her sister that she goes out of her way and does things no woman would think of doing in those times. She's smart, witty and determined, so much so that she's admired by the villain of the story!!
While reading, bear in mind that this piece of work written years ago. We have advanced a lot in terms of technology and thus the plot may sound simple. But it's beautifully woven, has a lot of enjoyable elements and overall a great book to read.
sereia8's review against another edition
5.0
This is my third reading and I still really, really like it!
manadabomb's review
5.0
Listed as the best book you've never heard of and it's true! Published in the 1859, this is a classic that isn't as known (but should be). I've been talking this up to all my bookish friends and I've not come across one who has heard of it. This, my friends, is the basis of detective fiction novels. Doyle based his character and stories on this novel. It was initially published as a serial so essentially each chapter ends as a cliffhanger and just keeps forcing you to read and curse anything that tries to distract you.
I listened to this through Craftlit, because Heather does a great job with explanations (she's a teacher). But you can also grab it for free from Librivox.
Walter Hartright is a young artist who gets a job at Limmeridge House to teach and mentor two young ladies in drawing, Laura Fairlie, a beautiful wealthy blonde, and Marian Halcombe, Laura's half-sister, most noted to be not as attractive but turns out to be one of the best written female characters.
On the way to Limmeridge, Walter encounters the woman in white. She's lost and needs assistance to get to where she needs to go. After assisting her, Walter finds out that she's escaped from a mental asylum. He uses the experience as a tale to tell the young ladies and finds out that the woman in white is actually Anne Catherick, who knew Laura's mother.
As expected, Walter falls for Laura but Laura is promised to Sir Percival Glyde in marriage. Glyde's best bud, Count Fosco, married to Laura's aunt, completes the crew that we end up watching throughout the book.
The book is told in narratives, each voiced by a different character. We start off with Walter's POV and then jump into others. This allows us to get a full picture of the mystery and how it started and where it went. But.....it's hard to tell, when the story is laid out, which narrator can be trusted. (Walter is a bit boring at first, but stick with him.)
Every time I was able to turn this book on, I was engrossed. If you are unsure about "the classics", start here!
I listened to this through Craftlit, because Heather does a great job with explanations (she's a teacher). But you can also grab it for free from Librivox.
Walter Hartright is a young artist who gets a job at Limmeridge House to teach and mentor two young ladies in drawing, Laura Fairlie, a beautiful wealthy blonde, and Marian Halcombe, Laura's half-sister, most noted to be not as attractive but turns out to be one of the best written female characters.
On the way to Limmeridge, Walter encounters the woman in white. She's lost and needs assistance to get to where she needs to go. After assisting her, Walter finds out that she's escaped from a mental asylum. He uses the experience as a tale to tell the young ladies and finds out that the woman in white is actually Anne Catherick, who knew Laura's mother.
As expected, Walter falls for Laura but Laura is promised to Sir Percival Glyde in marriage. Glyde's best bud, Count Fosco, married to Laura's aunt, completes the crew that we end up watching throughout the book.
The book is told in narratives, each voiced by a different character. We start off with Walter's POV and then jump into others. This allows us to get a full picture of the mystery and how it started and where it went. But.....it's hard to tell, when the story is laid out, which narrator can be trusted. (Walter is a bit boring at first, but stick with him.)
Every time I was able to turn this book on, I was engrossed. If you are unsure about "the classics", start here!
manthamack's review against another edition
4.0
Binged this entire thing over two days. Enough twists to keep me thorough engaged the entire time. Very much enjoyed.
stazja_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
echoess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
kashna83's review against another edition
4.0
(review 2006) És un llibre molt interessant per la forma en què està escrit (es va alternant el punt de vista del narrador a mesura que se succeeixen els fets) i l'atmosfera de suspens i misteri que aconsegueix. És rollo aventures de Sherlock Holmes o llibres d'Agatha Christie.