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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
La verdad es que el principio ha sido lo que más me ha gustado. Todo el misterio que envolvia a la chica misteriosa y la forma de describirla del protagonista me ha hecho pensar que la obra iba a ser de otra forma.
Aun así no ha estado mal, aunque sí ha habido partes que me han aburrido un poco.
Aun así no ha estado mal, aunque sí ha habido partes que me han aburrido un poco.
mysterious
medium-paced
3 Stars - I Liked This Book
I have to admit, I didn’t expect this story at all. This book was talked up to me as a Victorian gothic horror story...but what I got was more along the lines of a suspenseful story of mistaken identities. The writing was incredibly engaging, and from the start I was pretty sucked into the story of two women who are eerily similar in appearance. I loved the format of switching from narrator to narrator as the story progressed, and I found myself loving Marian the most. I’d certainly read this one again, as it was engaging and interesting. My only drawback was it began to feel rather long towards the end, but that could be that I was impatient to finish it and find out “what happens”.
I have to admit, I didn’t expect this story at all. This book was talked up to me as a Victorian gothic horror story...but what I got was more along the lines of a suspenseful story of mistaken identities. The writing was incredibly engaging, and from the start I was pretty sucked into the story of two women who are eerily similar in appearance. I loved the format of switching from narrator to narrator as the story progressed, and I found myself loving Marian the most. I’d certainly read this one again, as it was engaging and interesting. My only drawback was it began to feel rather long towards the end, but that could be that I was impatient to finish it and find out “what happens”.
Really good entertaining and engaging victorian classic with memorable characters and a good story. I did find the novel could have ended a few chapters short, a bit overexplained in the end and trying to wrap every last part of the plot too much. Other than that I really enjoyed it.
English Victorian literature: my favorite genre! I would have read this even if it was not assigned for my Gothic Literature course.
Collins was a friend and pupil of Charles Dickens, and it shows in his writing style. At a time when authors were paid by the word and published serially in journals, long episodic novels such as this was the fashion. With each journal publication, a few sections of Woman in White would be published and read, much like TV episodes air weekly. The characters closely analyze situations from different angles, almost to the point of repetition - which serves as a reminder of this novel's literary and historical context: the readers needed those reminders once in a while.
Collins also employed a technique that was new in literature for the time, and rather common today: a story told from different narratives. For several chapters, the mystery was given by Walter Hartright, then his pupil Marian, followed by the villain, lawyers, and other characters whose roles become vital to the plot. For this particular story, which the law cannot legally touch, multiple narrators was necessary and skillfully done.
This book was chilling, fascinating, and slow-paced. It cannot be read quickly. Very critical moments occurred without my noticing until after the fact. Gender roles blurred, the line between fantasy and reality was crossed, and intrigue kept the plot moving.
One of literature's most gender-bending characters, Marian Halcombe, starred alongside one of literature's most lovingly hateful villains, Count Fosco. I thoroughly enjoyed their accounts in the narrative. Marian, with her mustache and desire for male independence, stealing out into the night and climbing across mansion roofs; Fosco, enormously obese yet light on his feet, cruel and charming all at once - their character depth drove the story forward. They constantly tip-toed around one another, analyzing the other's every move like a chess game.
And of course, there's the mystery of the woman in white...which will only be revealed when read!
Collins was a friend and pupil of Charles Dickens, and it shows in his writing style. At a time when authors were paid by the word and published serially in journals, long episodic novels such as this was the fashion. With each journal publication, a few sections of Woman in White would be published and read, much like TV episodes air weekly. The characters closely analyze situations from different angles, almost to the point of repetition - which serves as a reminder of this novel's literary and historical context: the readers needed those reminders once in a while.
Collins also employed a technique that was new in literature for the time, and rather common today: a story told from different narratives. For several chapters, the mystery was given by Walter Hartright, then his pupil Marian, followed by the villain, lawyers, and other characters whose roles become vital to the plot. For this particular story, which the law cannot legally touch, multiple narrators was necessary and skillfully done.
This book was chilling, fascinating, and slow-paced. It cannot be read quickly. Very critical moments occurred without my noticing until after the fact. Gender roles blurred, the line between fantasy and reality was crossed, and intrigue kept the plot moving.
One of literature's most gender-bending characters, Marian Halcombe, starred alongside one of literature's most lovingly hateful villains, Count Fosco. I thoroughly enjoyed their accounts in the narrative. Marian, with her mustache and desire for male independence, stealing out into the night and climbing across mansion roofs; Fosco, enormously obese yet light on his feet, cruel and charming all at once - their character depth drove the story forward. They constantly tip-toed around one another, analyzing the other's every move like a chess game.
And of course, there's the mystery of the woman in white...which will only be revealed when read!
Do not let the 1,000 pages stop you from reading this book! Excellent mystery/drama novel!
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I would love to see the movie of this book and will look for a copy soon.
It was an overly long story but a mesmerizing one.
It was an overly long story but a mesmerizing one.
I stumbled across this book while searching for mysteries here on Goodreads. Despite never hearing of the title, much less the author, I found a free ebook version and decided to give it a go. And, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The Woman in White is a good, epistolary mystery that should be read by all fans of the genre.