{"id":632,"date":"2010-08-22T10:25:57","date_gmt":"2010-08-22T17:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nebulous-oyster.flywheelsites.com\/blog\/?p=632"},"modified":"2021-06-09T07:46:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T14:46:47","slug":"woman-in-white-by-wilkie-collins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/woman-in-white-by-wilkie-collins\/","title":{"rendered":"The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m not sure how I managed to earn a Ph.D. in English without ever reading Wilkie Collins’s book, The Woman in White<\/em> (1859).<\/p>\n

I’m not sure how I became a Dickens fanatic<\/a> without ever even learning about Wilkie Collins, who was 12 years younger than Dickens and who published often in the journals Dickens edited.\"Woman
\nThe Woman in White<\/em> is an undertaking.<\/p>\n

My paperback copy was just over 500 pages, which is short compared to the Dickens novels I’ve been reading lately. I just finished Our Mutual Friend<\/em> before tackling The Woman in White<\/em>. But the type was tiny and it took me a long time to read.<\/p>\n

The beginning, which focuses on a quirky Italian man named Pesca whose life one of the book’s main characters and main narrators, Walter Hartright, saves, is a little slow. The rest of the story is as fascinating as it is disturbing. It has a brilliant, complicated plot, centered around two half sisters: Laura Fairlie and Marian Halcombe.<\/p>\n

Written from the point of view of several characters, the book tells the story of a poor art teacher (Walter) who falls in love with his rich pupil (Laura). But even if Walter were of the rich station in life to marry Laura, she is already pledged to a Sir Percival Glyde. Sir Percival Glyde is as wily and evil as his name implies.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, there is a mysterious woman who dresses only in white who looks strikingly like Laura. She has escaped from an insane asylum. Her story is brilliantly weaved into the plot right from the very beginning when Walter, not knowing what she is running from, helps her escape.<\/p>\n

The English obsession about money, inheritance, and class status that this book explores reminded me of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice<\/em> (published in 1813).<\/p>\n

Wilkie Collins’s own life is as sordid as his novels. He struggled with an opium addiction<\/a>, had an affair with his own woman in white, had three illegitimate children by another woman, and died<\/a> after being ill for years.<\/p>\n

I look forward to reading another of Wilkie Collins’s books, especially The Moonstone<\/em>. But before I do, Little Dorrit<\/em> is next on the docket.<\/p>\n

Published: August 22, 2010
\nLast update: January 22, 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m not sure how I managed to earn a Ph.D. in English without ever reading Wilkie Collins’s book, The Woman in White (1859). I’m not sure how I became a Dickens fanatic without ever even learning about Wilkie Collins, who was 12 years younger than Dickens and who published often in the journals Dickens edited. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[119,104],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWoman in White by Wilkie Collins a Sordid, Interesting Read<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Written from the point of view of several characters, Woman in White tells the story of a poor art teacher who falls in love with his rich pupil.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/woman-in-white-by-wilkie-collins\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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