Reviews

Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins was a RIDE! I was hooked from page one and could not put this down. This is one of the best sensation novels I have read!

The ending is going to live rent free in my mind.

hygrpfrt's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

suey's review against another edition

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3.0

Enjoyed this book okay. I got a bit bogged down in the middle, but then it picked up again. However, it didn't even compare to a couple of my favorites that Wilkie wrote (A Woman in White and The Moonstone.) But still, it was an interesting look at some pretty bizarre marriage laws in Scotland (hopefully old fashioned laws) and had some interesting twists and turns. Wow, but there's a lot of detail here!

marystephanos's review against another edition

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4.0

The first of Collins's so-called "social issue" novels, Man and Wife still retains the elements of suspense, mystery, and murder that drive his most popular (and earlier) novels. It is the story of Anne Silvester, seduced by athletic superstar Geoffrey Delamayne then dropped because of her lack of fortune. When Anne tries to coax Geoffrey into an "irregular" Scottish marriage, she fears she may have married his best friend instead. Collins does not do as good a job drawing his characters, and the plot drags a little until the final third of the book. Nevertheless, in the menacing figure of Hester Deathridge he has created one of his most memorable characters. The story suffers in spots from Collins's heavy-handedness, particularly his negative views on the cult of athleticism and the institution of marriage. Recommended for fans of Wilkie Collins, students of 19th-century British social history, and all fans of the 19th-century novel.

qofdnz's review against another edition

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4.0

The moral of this story.....it's dangerous to hang out with a member of the opposite sex in scotland. Be warned.

the_white_of_butterflies's review against another edition

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4.0

Costruito come se fosse un giallo, Wilkie Collins è riuscito a conferire una giusta dose di suspence e tensione a un racconto che ha come protagonista gli affari matrimoniali. Scritto agli inizi del Ventesimo Secolo, l’autore esplora i vuoti giudiziari nel diritto matrimoniale scozzese, a causa dei quali molte persone potevano risultare sposate anche per errore, anche solo per aver annunciato di essere marito e moglie. Questo è un pretesto per indagare su fatto che magari possono sembrare più frivoli ma che fanno da specchio alle dinamiche sociali dell’epoca, cioè quella tendenza dei giovani dell’epoca al focalizzarsi più sulle virtù fisiche (spesso sacrificando quelle morali), a più gravi quale è la violenza all’interno del matrimonio dove la vittima è quasi sempre la donna e il carnefice l’uomo. “Uomo e donna” di Wilkie Collins, legato comunque a problematiche legate al tempo storico nel quale questo romanzo è stato scritto, è comunque capace di comunicare e discutere con il nostro presente, anche di tematiche che purtroppo sono ancora molto attuali.

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