The Woman in White

By: Wilkie Collins

Narrated by: Josephine Bailey, Simon Prebble

Length: 25 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the greatest mystery thrillers ever written, Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White was a phenomenal best seller in the 1860s, achieving even greater success than works by Charles Dickens. Full of surprise, intrigue, and suspense, this vastly entertaining novel continues to enthrall audiences today.

The story begins with an eerie midnight encounter between artist Walter Hartright and a ghostly woman dressed all in white who seems desperate to share a dark secret. The next day Hartright, engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie and her half sister, tells his pupils about the strange events of the previous evening.

Determined to learn all they can about the mysterious woman in white, the three soon find themselves drawn into a chilling vortex of crime, poison, kidnapping, and international intrigue.

Masterfully constructed, The Woman in White is dominated by two of the finest creations in all Victorian fiction: Marion Halcombe, dark, mannish, yet irresistibly fascinating, and Count Fosco, the sinister and flamboyant "Napoleon of Crime".

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor

Wordy, but well worth the listen

What did you love best about The Woman in White?

Engaging plot, well-developed characters, great narration.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

This is a lengthy, involved and quirky plot. The wordiness is indicative of the time the book was written, but it is a great listen. Not sure I would have read the whole thing. The plot has a lot of intriguing twists and turns, but carries a lot of suspense in the latter portion of the book.

Which scene was your favorite?

The last days at Blackwater Park were very intriguing, can't say more, or the cat will be out of the bag. The later days in London were also great!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not, unless I wanted to stay awake for 18 hrs! Have a long drive or flight coming up? This is a great book for something like that.

Any additional comments?

I chose this book based on several references to it made in Diane Setterfield's "Thirteenth Tale". Am surprised I hadn't run into it before then.

I'm in love!

This is the first Collins novel that I've experienced. I must say I am IN LoVe! Mr. Collins now joins the likes of Dickens, And Hardy in my heart. Every detail was thought out and tied up at the end. A very interest cast of characters that exhibited all of humanity. A few angelic and lovely female leads that behaved above reproach and were rewarded. A few characters, both male and female that were quite depraved and were also rewarded thusly. If you put the time in- either in print, kindle or audio book, you will be so happy you did. Brilliant and delicious!

Pretty Good

I felt it took a long time for the story to get going...it's a long haul, and then much more exciting towards the end. The performance of the narrators was exceptional.

Beautifully narrated and written

Beautifully narrated and written. One of my favorite books. Full of surprises and twists. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

First Encounter With Wilkie Collins

What did you love best about The Woman in White?

How it slowly dragged you into the intrigue of the story and kept you their until the book was fully absorbed.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes most definitely, the narrative was told by different characters of the book, and sometimes they were interceded by others which made it even more exciting.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was when Marian Holcombe decided to go out on the roof and listen to Count Fosco and Sir Percival's conversation. She was my favorite character.

I listened until the end.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

While the story keep me listeining. I was long and oftened boring.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would cut the lengh in half!

I'm angry I'd never heard of this before

What a great listen. Top ten with story and narrator. Any book you don't want to stop listening too is a good one and this one definitely qualifies

A long story worth your patience

Well written, however it dragged a bit in places. Glad that I stuck with it

A complicated yet satisfying story

A complicated, yet satisfying story, filled with colorful characters. The story is told in the antique language of its time. A fun listen, expertly performed, but a long one. Settle in!

Incredible story

Fascinating story filled with twists and turns. The narrators were wonderful and brought the already vivid story to life.