The Woman in White

By: Wilkie Collins

Narrated by: Roger Rees, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, Judy Geeson

Length: 25 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Young Walter Hartright meets the mysterious woman in white in what soon became one of the most popular novels of the 19th century. Secrets, mistaken identities, surprise revelations, amnesia, locked rooms and locked asylums, and an unorthodox villain made this mystery thriller an instant success when it first appeared in 1860, and it has continued to enthrall ever since.

From the hero's foreboding before his arrival at Limmeridge House to the nefarious plot concerning the beautiful Laura, the breathtaking tension of Collins's narrative created a new literary genre of suspense fiction, which profoundly shaped the course of English popular writing.

Generally considered the first English sensation novel, The Woman in White features the remarkable heroine Marian Halcombe and her sleuthing partner, drawing-master Walter Hartright, pitted against the diabolical team of Count Fosco and Sir Percival Glyde. A gripping tale of murder, intrigue, madness, and mistaken identity, Collins's psychological thriller has never been out of print since its publication in 1860.

While Collins's other great mystery, The Moonstone, has been called the finest detective story ever written, it was this work that so gripped the imagination of the world that Wilkie Collins had his own tombstone inscribed "Author of The Woman in White."

Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

wonderfully written,narrated and presented

from start till the end the story move smoothly ,keeping listener interested and intrigue with plot suspense.

Splendid performances of a less than splendid book

What made the experience of listening to The Woman in White the most enjoyable?

By far the most compelling thing about this audiobook are the performances which are absolutely first-rate.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The fact that it is told in the first-person by a number of the characters, both male and female, was quite interesting. The mystery of the woman in white does carry you along for quite a while and then the mystery of how Hartright will set things right takes over. Unfortunately, the ending is somewhat fortuitous and contrived.

Which scene was your favorite?

The section which Frederick Fairlie narrates is hilarious.

Love the book, love the narration

I first read the book in high school and I'd forgotten how much I love it. I've always thought that it was a little unfair that Dickens gets all the love and Collins is kind of an also-ran; for my money, Collins is by far the better writer. This is a wonderful, layered, complex mystery thriller, written before the concept of mystery thrillers even really existed. It's also remarkable for the degree to which Collins was sympathetic to the difficulties faced by English Victorian women. Narration is excellent, with predictable kudos to prominent stage actor Roger Rees -- with the unfortunate exception that for some unknown reason he decided to make one of the characters Scottish, and his Scottish accent is, well, let's just say that if he'd hired Mike Meyers as a dialogue coach that might have improved it. There's no textual reason why Gilmore should be Scottish, and I'd have thought Rees was good enough at accents to recognize when he can't do one. But other than that he was terrific, and all the others were too, so five stars despite the minor complaint.

Loved this story! The performance is exceptional!

The Woman in White is a classic for a reason. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the characters. It's a very long yet fast-paced mystery. The characters are dynamic and interesting, and the story is memorable.

The audiobook performance is truly superb--by far the best I've heard to date.

Why all of the great reviews?

Keeping in mind how old this story was and how writers back then were paid by the word I tried to not judge. But all of the characters were arrogant and the main one had a hero complex, yet he's the best voice. It was tedious to listen to this story and it could've ended six hours sooner.

More Captivating than Dickens

Who was your favorite character and why?

The cast of characters all read by believable and passionate voice actors. Each one of them brings back to this period.

Any additional comments?

This was the most captivating and refreshing work of 'victorian' fiction I have read in a while. While I found Dickens overly descriptive and dry, this work is fresh! It appeals to the 'sensational' style of today's movies while encapsulating the essence of the time period. I would classify this as a pure action\adventure\romance that everyone should listen to.

The story can start off slow... don't let this fool you. If you aren't captured by the end of the first narrative, you probably won't like it.

Wonderful novel, great narrations, the best!

Where does The Woman in White rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top of the list of audiobooks. Other audiobooks are boring after listening to this audiobook.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The story kept me spellbound. Stayed up late, I didn't want to stop listening. This audiobook was absolutely the best. I wish there was a sequel.

Not much complexity , a little annoying.

It was a pleasant listen, but not life changing. The heroine, I think,should have been the strong "wall flowerish" sister of the Woman n White. I just couldn't be convinced of who was the Main character. Who should I barrack for in this drama?

Wonferul story & performance

Loved it, was very long listen. However once you have succumbed to it, you have to let yourself be drawn into this world. Very interesting, I enjoyed the twist and the unravelling of the mystery. Well written and well performed.

Great!

Everything about this recording is excellent. And it’s the kind of story that keeps you listening in a fever to find out what happens next.