A review by marystephanos
Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins

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.