Reviews - The Woman in White

2.59k reviews for:

I really enjoyed The Woman in White. The story comes together really neatly at the end, and although it's quite long, I can't think of any parts which could reasonably be cut out without being detrimental to the unfolding of the plot and the revealing of all of the cogs. I did end up guessing most of the plot before it happened, but it was probably less predictable when it was written. It still kept me turning the pages, though, and I read this a lot more quickly than I've read anything by his contemporary and friend, Dickens.

likecymbeline's review against another edition

4.0

This is such a sensation novel, and that's exactly what I wanted. Lots of building of tension, lots of careful construction to extend and delay the unfolding of the story. I mean, it's overdramatic and a bit silly sometimes, but that's what it's supposed to be.

Walter Hartwright's a bore, but I was pleasantly surprised by the characterization of Anne Catherick. It's quite clear that even by the standards of the time she should not have been incarcerated in an asylum, even if she is different from the stringent Victorian definitions of 'normal' mental ability. Laura was also boring, which pairs her well with Hartwright, but Marian was generally a surprising and likeable character. Then there's Count Fosco. Who is so unreal but such a pleasure to read about because he makes you flinch away from him as much as you can't stop reading about what he's going to do next.

Spoiler

When he uncovers Marian's journal? Oh man, I forgot myself entirely and got pretty caught up. His ending is so befitting.

leahsreadings's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

alwaysamage's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark mysterious slow-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

dyanavelz's review against another edition

4.0

De 1860. Esta fascinante historia que ha escrito Wilkie Collins me ha gustado tanto o más que las historias románticas de mis escritoras inglesas favoritas; no me explico porqué comparo así ya que La Dama De Blanco dista mucho de ser una novela romántica y aunque el romance está lejos de ser el tema principal, me ha conmovido desde el comienzo hasta el fin de la lectura junto a la intriga que me genera el misterio que me imponían, cada vez más interesante, los narradores.

En las palabras de Wilkie Collins: "la historia que aquí se presenta se le dirá por más de una pluma, como la historia de un delito contra las leyes se cuenta en el tribunal de justicia por más de un testigo" y es que es asombrosa la capacidad que él posee para hacer notar claramente la parcialidad personal de cada narrador sin confundir mi mente en algún instante.

Lamento mucho que mi capacidad descriptiva no me dé suficiente para comentar correctamente la impresión que esta novela me dejó.

Por cierto, en esta edición parece que los editores tuvieron una extraña afición con las letras en mayúscula a ponerlas indiferentemente en el texto, en especial la letra S. Solo fue el toque cómico de la lectura.

cedrics_mom's review against another edition

3.0

At last I have finished this book. What an achievement. What a pain in the ass. It took me 6 months almost to the day to get through Collins long-winded tale that was definitely overrated. I’ve had several relationships that didn’t last this long. But finally I can say I completed it. Never again.

I will keep this one on my shelves for awhile as exhibit A in reading perseverance.

Back in 1859 when the book came out, publishers released books in serial form. Like nowadays we wait for the next episode of a favorite show, readers had to wait for the next installment of their story. At least I’m guessing that’s why it droned on for over 600 pages. Back then the Woman in White was considered a sensation novel and the first of its kind in England. Edgar Allan Poe published the Murders in the Rue Morgue in America in 1841.

So WIW was a pretty big deal. The story of treachery, identity theft, and murder is told through various characters, all of them long winded. My favorite is Uncle Fairlie, a decrepit hypochondriac of a misanthrope who gives not a rat’s ass for anyone but himself. Once I realized how perfectly selfish and uncaring he was, I was able to enjoy the joke.

The main scoundrel, Percival Glyde, made me think of the old cartoon character Snidely Whiplash. Snidely would be quite appropriate for villain #2 as well, Count Fosco, a rotund bore who probably wasn’t who he claimed to be. What a couple of creeps.

If it were up to me, I would cut the volume by 300 pages and get rid of the midsection.

I will read the Moonstone because it’s 100+ pages shorter and the language is more direct. I don’t have time to edit as I read to get at the meaning, but I did it constantly with WIW. Collins took 50 words to say what he could have said in 10. Very annoying.

Thank God that’s over. 🎊