Reviews

The Frozen Deep/Mr. Wray's Cash-Box by Wilkie Collins

avocadoeldorado's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emily_bg's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"The time may come when I shall forgive you. But the man who has robbed me of you shall rue the day when you and he first me"
Richard Wardour returns home from sea to find the woman he is engaged to has engaged herself to another. Spurned he vows revenge.
I have loved Wilkie Collins since I read The Woman in White several years ago. This may be one of his shorter stories but still has all the drama you would except from Collins writing. The backdrop of the Arctic exhibition only adds to the stories atmosphere.

anastasiaspahr's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

alonahami's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

sebren's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

quirpele's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

melbsreads's review against another edition

3.0

Trigger warnings: near starvation??, death.

So this story started life as a play starring Collins and Dickens and then Collins turned it into this novella. And honestly? I think it probably worked better in its original form because really, there's not quite enough in the story to get invested in the characters and actually care about what's happening to them. There's not enough set up for Clara and her mysterious "second sense". We get several pages several times over of the ship's cook complaining about making bone broth and then the actual crux of the story almost gets lost?

Basically? I would love to see it as a play. But as a novella? It was decidedly meh.

bargainbinkazbrekker's review against another edition

2.0

The only reason I even picked this up was because I read somewhere that it helped inspired my favourite book.
It was okay. The tonal shifts were a bit jarring. I don't know.

kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition

3.0

Collins' tale is based on the tragic trips to find the Northwest Passage. At times, the story is a bit melodramratic, but in the middle the tension is just right. It is a tale of love and revenge.

suhmer's review against another edition

4.0

Wilkie Collins knows how to write a story which will have you itching to find out more. The insatiable desire to find out the mystery earns Wilkie's title of the genres pioneer. And this story, whilst short, is no exception.

And what I would consider a key theme,

redemption, is the unexpected balm my soul needed.

Thank you Wilkie, I look forward to more, as Woman in White sits patiently on my shelves.