The Woman in White
Wilkie Collins
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The Woman in White is an epistolary novel written by Wilkie Collins in 1859, serialized in 1859-1860, and first published in book form in 1860. It is considered to be to the first mystery novel, and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of ’sensation novels’….
The Woman in White is also an early example of a particular type of Collins narrative in which several characters in turn take up the telling of the story. This creates a complex web in which readers are unsure which narrator can, and cannot, be trusted. Collins used this technique in his other novels, including The Moonstone. This technique was copied by other novelists, including Bram Stoker, author of Dracula (1897), although by the end of the 19th century the technique was considered “old-fashioned”. (Summary from Wikipedia) (25 hr 34 min)
Chapters
Reviews
bravo bravo standing encore!!
jaded_grl
the book has multiple readers, but it really is done as a dramatic reading or full cast reading - each chapter read by the character who is telling their story at the time. this is a very long book. but it never lost my interest. such a deeply twisted and intricate plot! yes there is a romance in it, but its not mushy or sappy. this is the 2nd book by this author that i have read and i am so happy to have discovered him! a wonderful writer!
Rachel m
The novel is absorbing, though it has some very slow parts and a little too much repetition for my taste. It is structured as a series of depositions in a criminal investigation and so you get many different perspectives on the same events. his recording uses many voices, and most are very good. It is odd that there are different actors reading the same character and it's a bit jarring to switch from English to a American accents all the time. But generally it was fun to listen to.
Incredible!
Audrey
Wow! That was intense! I enjoyed this book far more than I expected too. The characters were amazing. Sweet Laura Fairlie, resourceful Marion Holcombe, and Walter Hartright who was determined to solve the mystery of the woman in white. Then there was Mr. Fairlie, Laura's uncle. Oh how, I wanted to slap him! What a selfish, indolent man who cared nothing about his niece's interests who was forced into a loveless marriage. Sir Percival Glyde was nasty man who needed marriage for financial gain. Count Fosco who used his charms to cover up his devious plans. This book has layers of stolen identity, and hidden scandals. It was almost impossible to put this book down. It was an amazing journey!
Gripping story with engaging readers
Rapunculus
Stories such as this require a bit of patience to enjoy them fully. Let me assure you that this story is well worth it. The characters, villains and heroes alike, are both believable and multifaceted, and the twisting path that the plot leads you down will keep you guessing until the last words are read. Excellent readers make Mr. Collins's characters come alive, and by the time the tale is all told, you will wish it could go on forever.
Great Story, Loong, Needed Narrator Consistecy
Abbey
I liked this story quite a bit! It took me a long time to get it listened to, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The one thing that I did not like was the fact that the characters did not always have the same reader. I thought they should’ve stuck with one reader for each character. Other than that, I was happy with the book and the narrations!
Excellent
Gabby Wright
Great book to read in audio format! Wilkie Collins kept me guessing to the end. The readers did a great job bringing the many interesting characters to life. I have to put in a plug for Elizabeth Klett's recording of Lady Audley's Secret, as this book was recommended to me based on that - I can confirm after listening to this one that they are a great pairing.
Well done group collaberation
ListeninginChicago
From Wikipedia: A poor art master, Walter Hartright, is employed to teach two young women in Cumberland, and falls in love with one of them, Laura. His feelings are returned, but she is already engaged to another. They are parted and she marries, but she and Marian, her resourceful half-sister, are then caught up in her new husband's plot to steal her fortune and identity. Laura is stripped of her name and money, and almost of her sanity, but is rescued by Marian and protected by the faithful Hartright. He and Marian battle to expose the fraud and reclaim Laura's identity, fortune and position in society. Throughout the story they encounter a mysterious woman in white, whose own sad story seems entangled with those of Laura and her husband, and who plays a crucial role in the novel's main events. My comments: This Librivox reading is a bit unusual in that a specific reader takes on all of the chapters which are narrated by a specific character. It takes quite a bit of planning, and editing, to bring it all together, and the result is excellent. Walter Hartright is very well read by Tim Bulkeley. The book is a bit long, and I agree with another reviewer who said that it seems to drag at times. Overall though, it does move well and it's worth the listen.
Pretty good book
mikezane
I think it dragged out a little bit longer than necessary. Ann is a young woman with a history of mental illness who hides a terrible secret. Laura is a young woman in love who is to be married, not for love, but because of a promise to her father, even tho her heart loves another. Just before the wedding, Ann contacts Laura to warn her that her husband to be is not a good man. Ann is not believed, and the wedding goes on as planned. Shortly thereafter, Laura's life becomes a living nightmare at the hands of her cruel husband, who lives in fear of the secrets of his past and the fact that a mentally deranged woman holds them and could spill them at any moment. What could those secrets be? How can those secrets be used to free poor Laura from her wicked husband? Readers were very good, only a few tinny sounding recordings, and all were very easy to understand.