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A review by sashshearman
Basil by Wilkie Collins
4.0
Basil is the younger son of an old, aristocratic English family. His father's family pride is the paramount consideration in his life. Basil falls in love at first sight with the exotic looking daughter of a successful draper and this premise sets the scene for an engaging story.
Unlike Woman in White and The Moonstone, both of which employ different narrators throughout the book, Basil is written from the perspective of one man. The novel also differs from Collin's more famous works in that there is little humour.
The characters are interesting if not subtle and Collins descriptions of nouveau riche London will be fascinating for anyone interested in the Victorian period.
I really enjoyed this novel. It was fast-paced and further enhanced my impression of Collins as the pre-cursor to the modern day thriller writer. I was expecting a straight-forward tale of star-crossed love in Victorian England and was pleasantly surprised as the story unfolded.
If you are a fan of Woman in White and The Moonstone, I think you will enjoy reading Basil.
Unlike Woman in White and The Moonstone, both of which employ different narrators throughout the book, Basil is written from the perspective of one man. The novel also differs from Collin's more famous works in that there is little humour.
The characters are interesting if not subtle and Collins descriptions of nouveau riche London will be fascinating for anyone interested in the Victorian period.
I really enjoyed this novel. It was fast-paced and further enhanced my impression of Collins as the pre-cursor to the modern day thriller writer. I was expecting a straight-forward tale of star-crossed love in Victorian England and was pleasantly surprised as the story unfolded.
If you are a fan of Woman in White and The Moonstone, I think you will enjoy reading Basil.