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A review by ruthiella
Armadale by Wilkie Collins
3.0
I chose Armadale to fill the “Classic with a Name in the Title” category for the Back to the Classics 2015 challenge hosted at http://karensbooksandchocolate.blogspot.com/ . Armadale is about two men who have the same name of Allen Armadale and both have good reason to hate one another. They end up each having sons upon whom they bestow their names and possibly their blood feud. One of the major themes of the novel is whether or not the sins of the father are fated to be visited on the sons or if one determines his own destinies.
Now, I love Victorian “sensation novels” in which the sane are deviously committed to asylums, inheritances are stolen and family secrets are shoved under the rug only to ruin the lives of subsequent generations, but boy, did the story in Armadale move s l o w l y. This is not uncommon for Victorian novels that were serialized, of course, but after reading the zippy prologue which sets up the main plot in under 50 pages, I did occasionally find it hard going; mostly because I found two protagonists, Allen Armadale Juniors, to be dull and one-note; one is a neurotic and the other a cheerful dolt. But then finally the “villain” of the novel is introduced, some 200 pages in, and things finally started looking up. In fact, it is Lydia’s story which is the real mystery and the driving force of the plot. I would also pose the question of whether or not she is a villain at all. Granted, she isn’t a kind person, she admits as much herself, but I would argue that she is as much a victim as either of the young Armandales. The way she holds power over the poor Mr. Basherwood reminded me very much of that crazy character in Dracula who catches and eats flies, pining away for his master.
In brief, I liked it, it was fun to read. But it won’t be replacing The Woman in White as my favorite Collin’s novel.
Now, I love Victorian “sensation novels” in which the sane are deviously committed to asylums, inheritances are stolen and family secrets are shoved under the rug only to ruin the lives of subsequent generations, but boy, did the story in Armadale move s l o w l y. This is not uncommon for Victorian novels that were serialized, of course, but after reading the zippy prologue which sets up the main plot in under 50 pages, I did occasionally find it hard going; mostly because I found two protagonists, Allen Armadale Juniors, to be dull and one-note; one is a neurotic and the other a cheerful dolt. But then finally the “villain” of the novel is introduced, some 200 pages in, and things finally started looking up. In fact, it is Lydia’s story which is the real mystery and the driving force of the plot. I would also pose the question of whether or not she is a villain at all. Granted, she isn’t a kind person, she admits as much herself, but I would argue that she is as much a victim as either of the young Armandales. The way she holds power over the poor Mr. Basherwood reminded me very much of that crazy character in Dracula who catches and eats flies, pining away for his master.
In brief, I liked it, it was fun to read. But it won’t be replacing The Woman in White as my favorite Collin’s novel.