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blackjessamine's review against another edition
4.0
Confesso che, se non mi fossi imbattuta in una recensione entusiasta ed entusiasmante, raramente avrei degnato di molta attenzione questo romanzo: principalmente perché l'unica cosa che sapevo sul conto di Collins era la sua amicizia con Dickens (e io con Dickens ho un rapporto a dir poco problematico dai tempi di una pessima professoressa del liceo) e il fatto che fosse considerato il padre del romanzo poliziesco, probabilmente l'unico genere, assieme al fantasy, che suscita pochissimo il mio interesse. Ecco, dunque, se avessi sentito parlare di questo romanzo senza prima essermi imbattuta in questa recensione, probabilmente sarei passata oltre senza pensarci due volte. Invece l'ho letta, e ho deciso di ingorare quei segnali che sembravano indicarlo come uno dei libri meno adatti a me.
Be', ho divorato in dieci giorni (dieci giorni intensi, pieni di impegni universitari, non dieci giorni di totale nullafacenza) un tomo di quasi settecento pagine. Forse perché ultimamente mi ero data a letture un po' più riflessive, forse perché in questo periodo ho bisogno di distrarmi senza affaticare troppo la mente, sicuramente perché Collins decisamente ha saputo scrivere un romanzo completo e terribilmente avvincente, in ogni caso fin dalle prime pagine mi sono trovata perfettamente a mio agio in questa squisita atmosfera vittoriana fatta di misteri, personaggi curiosi, sentimenti e intrighi. Mi sono completamente abbandonata e lasciata travolgere da questa storia particolarissima, complessa ma del tutto coerente, narrata con maestria dai diversi protagonisti (ma non solo, narrata da tutti i personaggi che hanno avuto a che fare in qualche modo con gli avvenimenti descritti). È difficile dire qualcosa sulla trama senza rischiare di anticipare nulla: "La donna in bianco" è infatti un romanzo che si basa sui colpi di scena, sulle rivelazioni che pongono in luce radicalmente diversa tutto quello che il lettore aveva pensato e saputo fino a poche pagine prima, e anche la più piccola anticipazione diminurrebbe, a mio parere, gran parte del piacere della lettura. Mi limiterò quindi a dire che, sebbene sia innegabile la natura di fondo "poliziesca" di questo romanzo, non si deve nemmeno pensare che tutto si riduca a questo: è un romanzo complesso, che presenta sì un mistero e le indagini per venirne a capo, ma lo fa in maniera completa, lasciando spazio anche a elementi diversi.
I personaggi sono numerosi, e per alcuni versi potrebbero anche apparire leggermente stereotipati (Walter, integro e fedele al suo sentimento, Marian forte, indipendente e acuta, Sir Percival odioso fin dalla sua prima apparizione, Mr Fairlie una macchietta ipocondriaca, il Conte Fosco una viscida figura sorpa le righe, Laura bella e buona, sensibile e impressionabile...) e in effetti lo sono, ma al tempo stesso ci si rende conto che funzionano bene così. Hanno peculiarità specifiche, sono coerenti, nei loro "tratti tipici" conservano pur sempre autonomia e un certo spessore psicologico. Insomma, "La donna in bianco" è un romanzo che non si prefigge di portare il lettore a riflettere su temi profondi, ma piuttosto vuole intrattenere costringendo il lettore ad avere bisogno di continuare la lettura, e ci riesce magnificamente, con uno stile pulito e accattivante, con una trama forte e ben costruita, con suspace e colpi di scena sorprendenti e inaspettati.
Insomma, una vera rivelazione, un bellissimo romanzo capace di conquistare da subito l'attenzione del lettore e di trascinarlo totalmente nel suo mondo, facendogli dimenticare ogni cosa attorno, compreso il fatto di star leggendo un romanzo.
Be', ho divorato in dieci giorni (dieci giorni intensi, pieni di impegni universitari, non dieci giorni di totale nullafacenza) un tomo di quasi settecento pagine. Forse perché ultimamente mi ero data a letture un po' più riflessive, forse perché in questo periodo ho bisogno di distrarmi senza affaticare troppo la mente, sicuramente perché Collins decisamente ha saputo scrivere un romanzo completo e terribilmente avvincente, in ogni caso fin dalle prime pagine mi sono trovata perfettamente a mio agio in questa squisita atmosfera vittoriana fatta di misteri, personaggi curiosi, sentimenti e intrighi. Mi sono completamente abbandonata e lasciata travolgere da questa storia particolarissima, complessa ma del tutto coerente, narrata con maestria dai diversi protagonisti (ma non solo, narrata da tutti i personaggi che hanno avuto a che fare in qualche modo con gli avvenimenti descritti). È difficile dire qualcosa sulla trama senza rischiare di anticipare nulla: "La donna in bianco" è infatti un romanzo che si basa sui colpi di scena, sulle rivelazioni che pongono in luce radicalmente diversa tutto quello che il lettore aveva pensato e saputo fino a poche pagine prima, e anche la più piccola anticipazione diminurrebbe, a mio parere, gran parte del piacere della lettura. Mi limiterò quindi a dire che, sebbene sia innegabile la natura di fondo "poliziesca" di questo romanzo, non si deve nemmeno pensare che tutto si riduca a questo: è un romanzo complesso, che presenta sì un mistero e le indagini per venirne a capo, ma lo fa in maniera completa, lasciando spazio anche a elementi diversi.
I personaggi sono numerosi, e per alcuni versi potrebbero anche apparire leggermente stereotipati (Walter, integro e fedele al suo sentimento, Marian forte, indipendente e acuta, Sir Percival odioso fin dalla sua prima apparizione, Mr Fairlie una macchietta ipocondriaca, il Conte Fosco una viscida figura sorpa le righe, Laura bella e buona, sensibile e impressionabile...) e in effetti lo sono, ma al tempo stesso ci si rende conto che funzionano bene così. Hanno peculiarità specifiche, sono coerenti, nei loro "tratti tipici" conservano pur sempre autonomia e un certo spessore psicologico. Insomma, "La donna in bianco" è un romanzo che non si prefigge di portare il lettore a riflettere su temi profondi, ma piuttosto vuole intrattenere costringendo il lettore ad avere bisogno di continuare la lettura, e ci riesce magnificamente, con uno stile pulito e accattivante, con una trama forte e ben costruita, con suspace e colpi di scena sorprendenti e inaspettati.
Insomma, una vera rivelazione, un bellissimo romanzo capace di conquistare da subito l'attenzione del lettore e di trascinarlo totalmente nel suo mondo, facendogli dimenticare ogni cosa attorno, compreso il fatto di star leggendo un romanzo.
dyno8426's review against another edition
5.0
Every day for the past week, I was looking eagerly to get back to this page turner as soon as I could at the end of the day. It is a highly engaging mystery-thriller with a gripping plot, with the same intellectual intensity and dexterity in characters like Sherlock Holmes' fictions. The author also imparts that Gothic experience to it by composing the narrative structure from the different psychological perspectives, with a Victorian writing style which assists such multidimensional explanations of people and situations as to make it thoroughly insightful. The romance within the story has these horrifying, dark aspects which are common to Gothic fictions. The author also points to the barbarism and mysteries which exist in our seemingly civilized societies through the unnatural events connected with the story. And Count Fosco turned out to be one of the most memorable villains that I've come across in fiction, representing evil in such a manner which couldn't be helped but admired while loathing it.
maevewoof's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
emromc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kellyrenea's review against another edition
4.0
Exciting read
Another Wilkie Collins novel, mystery. I enjoyed the suspense and trying to guess the complicated back story going on behind the mysterious woman in white.
It is neat reading a novel with multiple narrators. Always makes you question how the story is being told, and whether the narrator is reliable or not. I am not sure I like this form of storytelling, but I can appreciate the advantage it offers with mystery novels.
Many of the characters annoyed me throughout the story. I got to the point where I almost disliked Walter. The most redeeming character is Marian. I really dislike Laura. I would like to see more happen with Marian, but it does work with the storyline well.
All in all an enjoyable read, well written, although I don’t think I will read it again anytime soon.
Another Wilkie Collins novel, mystery. I enjoyed the suspense and trying to guess the complicated back story going on behind the mysterious woman in white.
It is neat reading a novel with multiple narrators. Always makes you question how the story is being told, and whether the narrator is reliable or not. I am not sure I like this form of storytelling, but I can appreciate the advantage it offers with mystery novels.
Many of the characters annoyed me throughout the story. I got to the point where I almost disliked Walter. The most redeeming character is Marian. I really dislike Laura. I would like to see more happen with Marian, but it does work with the storyline well.
All in all an enjoyable read, well written, although I don’t think I will read it again anytime soon.
bexlrose's review against another edition
2.0
Just don't bother, it's not worth the effort. Spoilers, but the book may as well have skipped the last few chapters and just said 'and they all lived happily ever after'. Genuinely every villain gets a comeuppance and ever hero gets happiness, even the dead ones.
There is certainly skilled writing, very similar to the writing in The Moonstone. Collins sure liked to give each character their own chance to write a bit from their own point of view, which was fun in The Moonstone but not so original by now, which I guess depends on which book you read first.
The plot was clever enough, but was endless in execution. If purgatory exists I may be there in some parallel universe, perpetually reading this novel without conclusion until I have atoned for every scathing book review I've ever given. In which case I should end this here, just in case. 2 stars.
There is certainly skilled writing, very similar to the writing in The Moonstone. Collins sure liked to give each character their own chance to write a bit from their own point of view, which was fun in The Moonstone but not so original by now, which I guess depends on which book you read first.
The plot was clever enough, but was endless in execution. If purgatory exists I may be there in some parallel universe, perpetually reading this novel without conclusion until I have atoned for every scathing book review I've ever given. In which case I should end this here, just in case. 2 stars.
onecraftybird's review against another edition
1.0
Audible: this book was soooo boring. I got to chapter 14 and I had enough of it.
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 against another edition
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