A review by lirelyn
Armadale by Wilkie Collins

A gothic classic, with dark family secrets, ominous dreams and premonitions, and the lurking shadow of fate. I've read this twice now, and while it didn't hold up on second reading as well as The Woman in White or The Moonstone, I did enjoy it both times. The core theme of the book is whether love can overcome fate, and it's played out in two relationships: one fraternal, one romantic, with the fraternal (although not literally so) relationship taking center stage. Modern readers don't have the same ideas of fate and inherited destiny that informed the book, so to really appreciate it requires some stepping out of one's own viewpoint and imagining a world where there is a genuine fear that you might be doomed to repeat your father's crimes. If you can do that, though, and if you enjoy the gothic style Collins is so great at, it's well worth a read, especially for the strong characterizations, and the love story which I've found as compelling as any romantic one.