This was a hard book to put down once I got into it. It did take a bit to get into but not too long. Collins has been compared to Dickens and that seems a fair comparison. The stories from each of these masters have the same feel and texture in the language and settings. While DIckens is often about social issues, The Woman in White is more of a detective story though there is no bona fide detective in the story. Personally, detective stories are not a great temptation for me to read. I have read my share and even enjoyed them but the last one of the Dresden FIles left me cold. This one did not leave me cold.

There are a plethora of reviews of this book and I will add only a few personal comments. This is something of a long and complex story but not one that is too lengthy or one in which to become easily lost. The characters are straight forward and there are not so many of them as to have difficulty keeping track. The character development is adequate, the plot quite interesting and the prose outstanding. The language is in fact what drew me to this book and what would not let go of me. Some of it is predictable but much of the story and perhaps its conclusion is something of a surprise.

I struggled with rating this book because by many standards it deserves 5 stars. A rating of 4.5 would have been more precise for me but we do not have that degree of granularity. I liked this book a lot. It has inspired me to read more of Wilkie Collins but not to reread this particular selection. That is usually the test for me in deciding between 4 and 5 stars. I would recommend it to anyone interested in literary, gothic fiction.

In spite of being 3 segements long this tale keeps the listener in suspense through out. The use of several different narriators to move the story along is fun, interesting and well written. It was a surprise when both "good guys" and "bad guys" wrote their part of the adventure. I think this was the best book of the summer!

I had read this book years and years ago. Fortunately, I had totally forgotten the plot so I was able to enjoy it 'fresh' in its audible form. I love Wilkie Collins -- and Simon Prebble and Josephine Bailey do a great job with the narration.

OK it's long but if you like listening to eloquent English it's for you. Villian's , sleuths, victims, innocents, love , passion, longing, regret and victory need I say more. Very easy listening but it really is Raymond Chandler stretched out over time. Part of me wanted the guys to grab the dames and waste the villian. Worth listening to overall.

It was an interesting story and I liked the change of character narration, so you experienced the events through the perspectives of different characters. I thought it layed out a few good story threads within the overall mystery and kept a good pace, even though it is long book.

I liked how the ended played out.

It's too long to do that! You will want avoid putting down for too long though because you don't want to forget where you are in the story, as it builds upon earlier accounts of other narrators.

Some people commented that having both male and female narrators (for different chapters or sections of the book) was distracting, but I didn't have a problem with it and I think it worked well.

I may listen to this book again. I found this book needing more of my full attention than some other books, so I'm sure I missed some interesting bits along the way.

The story was intreging and I could not put it down.

I don't know what I was expecting actually. The reviews made the story sound quite intriguing. Although it was well written and moved along, it held no special interest for me. It was like riding a roller coaster that didn't have ups and downs enough to be captivating. I got sick of the "fading violet" acts and wasn't drawn to any particular character. Sooo, it was just ok.

I would have perhaps added a bit more excitement or mystery.

I don't think I had one.

No. I wasn't moved, but I didn't expect the death of one of the characters to occur when and how it did.

Many pages to tell a relatively short story with a lot of unnecessary "fluff" that seemed to be added simply to lengthen it but didn't do much to enhance it.

Great plot, and characters. The narrations puts you in the room with players. Wonderful!

The author's discription of the characters is rich

Marion

Yes

I had to try this book twice - the opening is a bit slow but once you are through the set-up it is fantastic. Great characters, intriguing story, interesting story telling - highly recommend it.

The beginning is a bit philosophical but it gets really suspenseful after the first few chapters and stays interesting until the end. A good investment.