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

Deeply satisfying experience

Wow. What a terrific and well-told (and we'll-read) story. It was so engaging and enjoyable. I am sorry it has ended. Well-done Wilkie Collins! I hope to read more of your works. Highly recommend to fans of Sherlock Holmes, Dickens, and Laurie R King.

Great Listen

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The way it was narrated

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

The title is threaded thru the enitre book and you were always trying to figure out the story

Have you listened to any of Josephine Bailey and Simon Prebble ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Incredible story!!

I was astonished and so pleasantly surprised by this book. Although it is more than 150 years old it is just as relevant as any thriller written now. Actually I would say much better. The characters are developed superbly, the psychological insights into the characters and their motives are right on target and the story itself is so original.

I could not stop listening to this book and being amazed anew at each chapter at the brilliance of the story. The narration, told by a man and woman, are also very well done.

Highly recommended!

Victorian

Would you consider the audio edition of The Woman in White to be better than the print version?

Never read the print. Of course I love the narrators. Each did a fabulous job.

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

Not always, sometimes it really captured me and I couldn't wait to continue the story and sometimes it just went along.

Which scene was your favorite?

None really.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No.

Any additional comments?

I found this book intriguing and tedious at the same time.

The Woman in White

Is there anything you would change about this book?

No. It isn't my place to change someone's elses writing.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Gone With the Wind

Would you be willing to try another one of Josephine Bailey and Simon Prebble ’s performances?

Yes.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Absolutely not.

Any additional comments?

This book was very long and very hard to listen to. The story was embellished with many many superfluous words, but I guess it was a style of writing in which I am not familiar. The monotone of the readers is hard to listen to because they let my mind wander, so I missed some parts completely. It was really really long.

Absolutely Top Notch!

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

This is one of my top 5 favs.

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

a gripping plot that had me glued to my headset...

What about Josephine Bailey and Simon Prebble ’s performance did you like?

they simulated the voice inflections and accents of the period amazingly.

slow but wonderful!

I loved this well writen period piece. Nice and long to listen to over tea or on the treadmill. The characters went from one seeming disaster to the next, kept me glued to the narrative.

Worth the investment of time

While this is a very long work of literature, I was not disappointed to have invested the time. The story was very well written and remained interesting and captivating throughout.

Riveting

I didn't known what to expect give. The age of the work and the length of the narration - I stumbled upon it because I like other work by this narrator. I was very pleasantly surprised! Despite the length, the tale is riveting and engaging. The narration is all I had hoped and more.

Great Literary Period Mystery

Simply incredible read. Wasn't ready to end. Love the genre. Highly recommend. Felt I knew the characters by the end. Never could guess what Glide and Fosco had to hide.