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The Woman in White
The Woman in White
The Woman in White
Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

The Woman in White

Written by Wilkie Collins

Narrated by Glen McCready, Rachel Bavidge, Allan Corduner and

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

A dark and humid night on a London highway… a ghostly woman asking directions… and the reader is away on a tale of deceit, murder, madness, stolen identities and scheming cads, elaborate plots and outrageous coincidences, in the company of some of the most extraordinary characters in fiction. Hailed as a classic the moment it was written in 1859, The Woman in White uses a dozen different narrators to tell the tale of a man’s determination to save the woman he loves, in the face of the worst intentions of the sly Sir Percival Glyde and the magnificent Count Fosco.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 1, 2007
ISBN9789629544799
Author

Wilkie Collins

William Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and more than 100 essays. His best-known works are The Woman in White and The Moonstone.

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Reviews for The Woman in White

Rating: 4.175 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This epic tale of women abused by society because they had no legal rights is the story that led to changes in British law. This story awakened the women's rights movement in England.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My rating of this classic Victorian mystery novel varied as I slogged through it. The first 50 pages seemed excruciatingly slow and mawkishly written, even by Victorian standards. But my interest revved up as the story proceeded and most of the way I was eagerly turning the pages, extremely engaged and empathizing with the characters, especially the "most interesting" Miss Halcombe (I confess a profound weakness for intelligent and selfless women.)

    The last fifth of the novel seem anticlimactic though, with a deus ex machina plot solution that seemed an overgenerous gift of the storyteller to his beleaguered characters.

    On page 400 or so I probably would have given this 4 or even 5 stars, but because of these weaknesses, on sum I give it 3.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is a Victorian "mystery" told by multiple narrators. It is a great read, albeit long. 1005 pages
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Good old-fashioned story-telling at its best! Though the British insistence on class distinctions and the characterization of women are often maddening, the strong narrative and compelling mystery at the center of this novel easily overcome these annoyances. Collins had a wide-ranging influence on his contemporary authors, and his work deserves to be more widely read today.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was an enjoyable read and would have most probably have got a better rating if it wasn't for how long winded it was.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a surprisingly engaging novel. I did not think, due to the style, that I would enjoy it at first-- but I was proven wrong time and time again. There is much to like here and much to learn. Collins is a skillful writer that carries you along the story-line like helping someone cross the street. The plot is always engaging and that is rarely, if at all, a moment wasted in the expanse of the plot-line. The characters are flawed, but likeable. The setting is pivotal and not overwrought by any effusions of "purple prose." All in all, this was a great book and it will not be my last selection from Collins-- who I had never heard of previous to picking this up at random from my local college library. A big thumbs up. Well done, Mr. Collins.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Shortly before reporting to Limmeridge House in northern England where he has been employed as a drawing master, Hartright is on one of his frequent walks throughout London neighborhoods. He encounters a mysterious woman dressed in white who seeks his assistance with directions. After the two depart, he learns shortly from the police that the woman has recently escaped from an asylum. Later, when he reports to Limmeridge House, he discovers that one of his students, Laura Fairlie, the manor's master, bears a close resemblance to the woman in white. The young artist quickly falls in love with Laura only to be told by Laura's devoted half-sister, Marian Halcombe, that she is betrothed to the baronet, Sir Percival Glyde. Wishing not to disturb the future marriage, Hartright terminates his position.This novel, published in 1859, is considered one of the earliest mystery novels. Generally, when I read a classic, the literary styling and language is so cumbersome that I rarely rate it higher than three stars. Not only did I find the language easy to understand, but I found the story very engaging. Much of the first half of the novel was setting the stage for the second half, which seemed typical for many 19th century classics; however, once the suspense began, my attention was held page by page until a satisfactory ending.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    (Original Review, 1981-01-25)Beauty is completely subjective, and in Victorian times when this novel was written, the ideal of beauty was extremely different to what we would consider attractive now. Blond, blue eyed, curly hair and very pale was considered lovely. Women went to incredible lengths to achieve the paleness - even deliberately trying to catch consumption or tapeworms as that would help achieve the extreme paleness, weakness and general lying on the sofa because you are too pathetic to do anything else look. This is not a general look that is found attractive nowadays. Then, just simply having dark hair / eyes was enough to be considered 'ugly'. And then, Marion’s sheer physical energy and liveliness would have been found unappealing and a bit disgusting (I seem to remember from the book that she favoured 'natural dress', eschewing all the corseting necessary to achieve the Victorian shape), whereas today that is much more in line with what we find attractive.In my opinion, Rosanna's interest is twofold: on the one side her character provides the melodramatic ingredient essential to any typical sensation novel, which is the genre that constituted Collins's main audience; on the other, the secrecy of her behaviour allows The Moonstone to linger for a couple of hundred pages more than it normally would on a modern narrative. Besides a myriad of details concerning the full gallery of personages in the novel, The Moonstone's inordinate (for a thriller) page-count relies on two main facts:a) Rachel's refusal to recount the fateful night's chain of events;b) Rosana's intriguing responses and sudden disappearance (not to hurt @Palfreyman's 'Spoiler Alert' proclivities).Without Rosanna Spearman The Moonstone would be a much shorter novel; but it's all due to Collins's talent that he could make so much with so little. Rosanna Spearman is indeed a very interestig character. Her real origins are covered in mystery but Collins drops some hints as to her possible genteel upbringing despite her former career as a thief and sojourn in the reformatory school. One of the other characters (I forget whom) notices her demeanour as that of a lady's, and then there's the famous letter. That someone with her bas-fonds criminal record writes so well can only mean she had a fairly good education. On the other hand, a letter as long as hers functions as a device for the author to enrich a whole installment of the serial while keeping the readers' curiosity in check. She can't confide in anyone and people don't really know what she's up to. She's also given quite a lot of license, even understanding, allowing her to be on her own. She is intriguing though. Surprised no one's been along to write her back story in same way as some of the Bronte's characters have had their stories told by later writers....Collins's social awareness is still at its most embrionary level in “The Moonstone”, at least in what concerns Rosanna Spearman. We know almost nothing about her, and I believe that was the author's express intention, so as to spread a cloud of mystery over the conditions of her birth and upbringing; the reader can only speculate about Rosanna's identity. It's easy to feel a certain empathy towards the character because of the misery she appears to exude, but let's not forget she seems well treated in the Verinder household, benefits from Betteredge's leniency and her mistress's protection. The fact that she's not popular among the rest of the staff has nothing to do with her origins or situation in life. To be honest there's not much with which to weave a social case out of her; unhappiness and unrequited love are not themes limited to class discrepancies and I really feel Collins's purpose was to make a sentimental point not a social one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    When Walter comes across a mysterious “woman in white”, he must find out who she is. In the meantime, he has fallen in love with Laura, who will be married to Sir Percival, though she is in love with Walter. The book is told from many different points of view – technically, all “secondary” characters to the story. I actually thought this was kind of a cool way to tell the story, it’s just that I didn’t enjoy all the perspectives – many of them bored me. I was bored by the beginning and the end. It did pick up for me about ¼ of the way through (in my edition, that took about 125 pages), but then it slowed down again for the last 175 pages. It was the middle section, as told by the sister, Marian, that I really liked. This was when Laura/Lady Glyde was married. I’m not sure if it was just that part of the plot that kept my attention the best, or if I preferred the narrative as told by a woman? I quite liked Marian’s character, but thought Laura was pretty much a non-entity – she had no personality… despite being so much part of the plot, she seemed to mostly be in the background. I suppose that could be due to the fact that it was told by everyone else’s perspectives? Averaging out that I wasn’t crazy about the beginning and end, but that I really did enjoy the middle part, I’m giving it 3 stars, “ok”.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    NOTE: To stay in line with the style and nature of Victorian literature, please be warned that this review will make subtle attempts to mimic elements of the Victorian period to illustrate some of the impressions received during my reading of The Woman in White.Even though I graduated with a degree in English, I had never read anything by Wilkie Collins either as part of curriculum or through my pleasure reading. I had heard his name from time to time and knew generally of (his arguably) most well-known work The Moonstone, largely because of its fame as being the first English detective novel. I had also heard of The Woman in White but new nothing more than its name. As far as his other works, I was completely ignorant. I suspect his oversight in the English curriculum is due largely to the eclipse caused by Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters who dominate the studies of the Victorian period. Indeed, Collins himself was a fan of his contemporary author friend Dickens and it seems the two even worked together from time to time.Those familiar with the Victorian period won't be surprised by the length of The Woman in White nor by the denseness of the writing. I remember stories about the authors of the 1800s intentionally stretching out their vocabularies to earn more money due to being paid by the word or by the page in their serialized stories. While there is some truth to that, it should also be remembered that the companies publishing the stories also wanted to make money so they weren't just going to push out 500 pages of verbose drivel without making sure it was coherent, engaging and marketable. As a reader, especially in the 21st century with our short attention span and our desire for quick flashy bite-sized reads, it's easy to get bogged down in lengthy scenes with intricate details and descriptions along with thoughtful, methodical and often minute actions and progress. All discussion aside about my delay in becoming acquainted with Collins and in the nature of Victorian literature, I transition now to impressions about this novel in particular. As I began my reading, I had no clear expectations for the plot or characters in this book other than knowledge of the title character. I speculated that perhaps there may be gothic elements and that the Woman may turn out to be a ghostly apparition or otherwise influenced by supernatural means. That theory was quickly destroyed but was replaced by a concept that still left more questions unanswered. We walk the streets of London with Walter Hartright late one night and encounter the titular Woman in White. In his own words, seeing her brought his blood "to a stop." He was entranced, not necessarily by her beauty but by her mysterious and strange appearance. He briefly accompanies her and provides words of friendship and compassion while trying to unravel the mystery of her appearance and person. When she hurries on her way he is left wondering about her. Moments later he is more confused when confronted by men pursuing her as an escapee from an asylum. For reasons unknown, he guards her secret and lets the men continue on ignorant of her location but Walter is left contemplating ore on the Woman in White.The book is written in a series of narratives, each from a different author. Hartright serves as a principle protagonist and acts as the one compiling the various narrative elements into a chronological tale. The narratives try to explicitly avoid exposing plot elements before they are chronologically relevant. For some of the narratives, their tales are written "in the moment" as sorts of journals or testimonies of recent events and as such they contain no foreshadowing. Other narrators, especially Hartright, tell their stories already knowing future events and as such their words sometimes drop hints of foreshadowing. Early in the story, the foreshadowing is either completely glossed over or just gives the reader more questions since the reader doesn't yet have all relevant information. Later in the story, some of the foreshadowed phrases are based on imperfect knowledge of the character and thus provide imperfect hints to the reader. In both cases I found this a fun and intriguing way to unravel a mystery while keeping it mysterious a little longer.The plot reveals itself slowly and methodically like the petals of a flower slowly unfolding from a spring bud to an elegant and glorious bloom. Initially we are given a gothic feeling mystery of the identity of the Woman in White. Then we are presented what seems to be a standard story of workaday life in Victorian England. Next, we move into a balance between commentary on British aristocracy and a seemingly standard Victorian love story. The story twists into a psychological tug-of-war between characters attempting to keep up the most civil outward appearances while also trying to undermine and destroy the lives of other characters. Each newly exposed element adds new beauty as well as new questions each element that came before. For the first many chapters, we follow the narrative of Walter Hartright. We begin in London with his strange encounter with the Woman in White and then follow him as he takes employment at a wealthy home in the country. There he teaches art to a pair of young women. Without spoiling too much of the plot, a romance is kindled but a love triangle is exposed and the lovers are forced to keep their love hidden and separate. For the next many pages, the narrative is picked up my one of the young women, Marian Halcombe before being handed back to Hartright for the conclusion. Scattered throughout the novel are small narrative sections by both minor and major characters. I found the narrative styles of Walter and Marian to be very similar yet with very subtle differences that helped establish their own unique voices. The narratives of the minor characters were somewhat generic in feel partly due to their comparative brevity. Late in the novel we have a (comparatively) "brief" narrative by Count Fosco who has one of the more unique voices of the whole story. Overall the narrative style was entertaining and engaging. Despite having multiple distinct narrators, the story maintained a cohesive feeling and tone that allowed the reader to comfortably navigate the pages without jarring transitions between narrators in spite of their unique voices.The main characters, and even many of the minor characters, are well developed and a lot of fun. While many of their traits are somewhat stereotypical for the era their motivations and actions are engaging and delightful. Hartright is the virtuous and persistent hero you would expect in a story like this. Full of vigor and courage he is often able to thoughtfully work through tricky situations but he still makes some foolish and impulsive decisions. Marian Halcombe is, in many ways, the female version of Hartright. Had the novel been written a few centuries later, it's entirely possible that she would have been even more central to the plot than she already is. As it stands, she is responsible for much of the forward movement of the plot and unraveling of many mysteries. The ideals of the Victorian era seem to have stayed Collins' hand and kept her from taking the forefront in even more of the adventure but she is a courageous and strong character and justifiably earns the admiration of the colorful villain in the story. Count Fosco is probably the most distinct of the characters with his flamboyant mannerisms, voice and motivations. Each of his interactions are both a lot of fun to read and strangely confusing to ponder over and try to discern. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot. Even if I wanted to outline the entire plot, it would be difficult to do so quickly and concisely due to the many multiple layers and intricate relations. At its heart, this is a love story that shows the lengths that people will go to help the people they love. Working outward it becomes a story about appearances and expectations particularly with regards to social status. Twisted into the plot are additional stories of love, deception and even political intrigue.Overall this novel is amazing in all that it accomplished and the depth and elegance in which it does so. Even with its hefty 500+ page count, the writing is efficient and tight especially considering everything it delivers. Readers will come away from the book with memories of rich characters, a well-developed mystery and a satisfying conclusion. It may not be Dickens or Bronte, but The Woman in White deserves praise and is a Victorian novel well worth reading. Great fun and definitely recommended.*****4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved everything about this book: the alluring appeal of a classic mystery, the carefully measured (yet far from dull) tone of narration, the touching love story fraught with seemingly unsurmountable perils, the way the story is told by different personages involved (shedding light on each of their personalities so perfectly), the altogether engrossing story line... I never once got bored while reading this large volume of a book. A great piece of writing!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Overall I enjoyed this book, even though, initially, I wasn't sure I wanted to finish it. The first section was frustrating to me, as I couldn't believe the characters could be so oblivious to the real looming danger that seemed so obvious to me. Also, the narrator, Walter, seemed a bit self-righteous to me.

    Fortunately, the book switches narrators several times, and when the narrator changed from Walter to Marion, my feelings toward the book changed too. At that point, I found it to be a page turner.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Eerie but not frightening, wonderfully paced plot, characters you like and understand.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    An excellent example of why authors shouldn't be paid for the amount of words they write. There were multiple times when I wanted to stop, but there were the reading challenges and a few plot points were actually interesting. I can forgive the overly dramatic intrigue that makes no sense, why didn't they just kill Laura and shut up Anne in the asylum, where she would have died anyway, but my biggest issue with the book is Walter falling for dumb, stupid, no-personality,perfect-Victorian-angel Laura while clearly the better woman is Marian, who is smart, is driven, and has crazy amounts of agency including the fact that risks her life to eavesdrop on Sir Percival and the count to save her sister. Men, gah!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Finally finished this fatty book! It reminded me a bit of Dracula. It was written through the narratives and letters and diaries of various characters and is slow moving..very much like Dracula. It was a bit interesting, but could have moved faster. But I think that's just the way things were written back then.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Finally. That took me months to read, not because I didn't enjoy it but just everything else that got in the way. I tried it on audio, it didn't stick so I set it down forever. Then I switched to kindle and got insanely busy. Finally got it finished though. It was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it. I'll definitely be reading more Wilkie Collins in the future, but it may be just a little bit before I get to them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Considered by many to be the first real mystery novel, Collins weaves a story that will inspire generations of writers. From the mysterious woman skulking about the property to the heavy-handed lord and master, this book introduces character types that endure through many great novels...even to the present.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the book that started my obsession with Gothic Literature
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Honestly, at 59 years old having read many thousands of books in my lifetime, this is now in my Top 10 of all time. This old classic written in 1860 is an outstanding example of a Victorian Dickensian-style old fashioned yarn with wonderful in-depth characters and a superb plot that offers many twists, turns, and surprises you never see coming! I loved all 534 pages of it and when it ended I wanted more! You will love all the characters both good and bad due to Collins' ability to masterfully create personalities so well. The book is truly an exceptional piece of turn-of-the- century literature for all ages to enjoy! I have a wonderful decorative slipcased illustrated edition published by the Limited Editions Club in 1964 which made it more enjoyable due to the illustrations portraying various scenes played out throughout the story. I plan now to eagerly dive into the author's other famous classic "The Moonstone". Here's to Victorian Literature, I do love them so!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4.5 stars for this audiobook edition but 4 stars for the book itself. I especially liked the fact that the different narratives were narrated by different people! I am glad that I decided to revisit this classic (read previously in 2012). While I remembered some important plot points, I found that I had completely forgotten both Anne Catherick's secret and the ending re: Count Fosco! However, in this reread my feeling of annoyance with Laura Fairlie was increased -- in particular, her stupidity in not calling off her engagement when the opportunity was offered bothered me. And am I alone in feeling that perhaps Marian was also in love with Walter Hartright?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Walter Hartright first meets this mysterious woman while walking along a deserted road; she was a solitary, unusual woman who is dressed from head to foot in white garments. He talks with her and then she disappears. In this way the "Woman in White" begins. It is a fascinating mystery novel full of twists and turns, mistaken identities, and surprise revelations. I loved this book and the investigating that Walter Hartright does, after his first encounter with the woman in white, to uncover her identity. This book was a bit dated in parts, but overall a strange, eerie mystery tale that is well worth reading. It deserves 3 1/2 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was an excellent read despite its age. The writing style was very appealing and forthright and quite amusing in places. I liked the way the narrative swapped between those involved. There were many interesting twists and turns and my only disappointment was that the "secret" wasn't that big a deal (but perhaps in its time it was)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This one's been on my TBR for years, and it did not disappoint. Mysterious, possibly bananas, women walking around at night and just in the out-of-doors in general saying enigmatic and quirky things, drawing tutors falling for their students, possibly-evil-but-maybe-not? men, shady pasts filled with secrets, and strong women with strong sisterhoods. Excellently written and paced, and nicely twisty. I loved it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Brilliant, please to listen to. I would definitely recommend. Thank you
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is a Victorian "mystery" told by multiple narrators. It is a great read, albeit long. 1005 pages
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I come to this book having already having read Wilkie Collins's novel The Moonstone. Because of this, I found his use of multiple narrators repetitive and not as well done, which is admittedly unfair as The Moonstone is a later novel and reflects his greater experience with the technique (not to mention what I thought was a more natural explanation for the employment of the multiple retrospective accounts). Still, I found The Woman in White inferior in other respects as well; the central mystery was less engaging and the lack of a protagonist on the level of Sgt. Cuff telling (the character best suited to play this role, Marian, is effectively put in a position where she has to rely on the far less interesting Hartright to resolve their problems). Though it would have been to the earlier novel's credit to have read it first, but then I don't know if I would have been as motivated to read The Moonstone afterward.

    Reading all of this might leave you with the impression that I didn't like the novel, which is far from the truth; I found it to be enjoyably written, with sympathetic characters and a plot that kept me engaged to the final page. I'm glad to have read it, and will probably return to it in the future. That being said, though, I would recommend readers interested in exploring Collins's works to begin with The Moonstone which is a leaner and more interesting work than this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wilkie Collins was a contemporary of Charles Dickens, they were friends, and I expected something like a Dickens book. But I found Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE to be more in the style of JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS than any of Dickens’ books that I have read. I loved JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS when I was 12 and 13 years old, and now I know that I still would if I read them again. That is to say, I loved THE WOMAN IN WHITE.This book is considered to be the first detective novel, called “sensation fiction“ at the time. Walter Hartright, the main character, presents both his investigation of the conspiracy crime against Laura Fairlie and testimony of various witnesses. In this way, Collins uses multiple narrators to tell his story.Fairlie is the young, innocent, and beautiful blond who marries the scoundrel, Sir Percival Glyde, even though she loves Hartright. Glyde and his friend, Count Fosco, scheme to take Fairlie's fortune. Hartright takes the law into his own hands to restore Fairlie’s name even if not her money. Of course, there’s much more depth to the story. But this is the center around which the mysteries revolve.THE WOMAN IN WHITE is not only plot driven, though. The evil Count Fosco and the brave, intelligent Marian Halcombe are especial evidence of the characterization in this novel.Remember when Collins described his characters, though, he was writing from the perspective of a male in the 1850s. So when he said, for instance, that Halcombe was masculine, he was probably referring to her qualities of bravery and outspokenness.Fairlie is a character whose description Collins probably thought was positive. Yet her innocence during the 1850s would be seen as childish today. I thought she seemed stupid as well, frankly. (Other Fairlies are in THE WOMAN IN WHITE, but this review refers only to Laura Fairlie.)But if you just accept Collins' characters and go with the story as written, with long sentences and too many commas, you'll know why it's a classic and love it as I do.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read this book because Nora Ephron was quoted in several places talking about how much she liked it. And what's good for Nora is good for me! Although my involvement with this book lasted longer than most relationships I've had (I don't often read 700 page books) it was worth it. Serialized novels of this type were the soap operas of their day, and I felt at times that I just had to know how it would turn out. A great book for anyone who feels guilty about never having read Dickens.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I started reading this and then switched to the audio version from Librivox. I enjoyed the story quite a bit and was curious to know what "really happened", but I found the structure of the story to be stifling at times. It seemed so legalistic (which, in a way it was) that it interfered with the flow of the story - though I did enjoy the different viewpoints. Overall, enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, but due to its long length and tiny font (on my copy), I kept on putting it off. I finished this book last night. What a fantastic story! A well-spun mystery with complex characters and plot. If you enjoy reading books like Rebecca, Jane Eyre, or The Thirteenth Tale, then you will love this book.