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

brilliant Collins

The first two-thirds of this book set the standard for suspense in the genre. It is SUCH good stuff. Was there ever a more extraordinary villain than the coruplent Count Fosco, with his little wire pagoda of white mice and his (self-described) "volcanic ardor" for the unfortunate Marian Halcombe? The last third, wherein matters are resolved, is a bit more rote, but still has some wonderful moments. I loved the scene where the noble drawing master finally confronts the evil Count, and in the silence can hear the chittering of the mice's teeth as they nibble the wires of their cage. The narration is simply fabulous--Bailey and Preble's appreciation and enjoyment of the material is obvious.

Fun Performance of an Early Gothic Novel

A great Victorian/Gothic novels most people never hear about. If you like the Bronte sisters and Middlemarch, you'll enjoy this.

Early on we are introduced to the mysterious woman in white when Walter Hartright is travelling to Limmeridge house to be a drawing tutor for two young ladies, Laura Fairlie and her half-sister Marian Halcombe. They rest of the book tells the the story of Walter, Laura and Marian.

Wonderful evil characters - Sir Percival Glyde and Count Fosco. Excellent fun, and the narration of Simon Prebble and Josephine Bailey was superb.

Interesting note - Wilkie Collins was a friend of Charles Dickens.

Downton Abbey meets Sam Spade

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.

25 hours... written in 1859... still enjoyable

It's supposedly the first mystery novel written and was a hugh hit in 1860. A classic and I had never even heard of it. The writing is Victorian and thus wordy and full of swooning, and it did take me a few chapters to get drawn in and fall in love with the fully fleshed out heros, heroines and even villians. Cleverly organized book, interesting and unexpected plots twists and lots of insights into 1850's in London. I am a little sad it is done.

OK Considering How It Was Written

This was released in pieces for a regular publication. To that end sometimes the author seemed to be trying to make a word quota for the week. I found myself yelling "OK, she's beautiful, we get it." After getting well into it that seemed to ease up and I was compelled to finish the book. The story had plenty of depth and plot. The readers were fantastic, carried the story well.

How come I never heard about this book before?

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

Yes! It's a wonderful, engrossing story that has it all: mystery, intrigue, and suspense!

What did you like best about this story?

The beautifully crafted plot, which has many exciting twists and turns, and which all comes together so nicely at the end.

What does Josephine Bailey and Simon Prebble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They bring the story to life. I felt like I was watching a wonderful movie.

Any additional comments?

The characters are a bit stereotyped and flat, but I didn't really mind it, since the story line was so engaging. Think Dickens.

Very well done!

If you could sum up The Woman in White in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing, Suspenseful, Romantic

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the unexpected. Of course there were things that were obvious from the start, such as who the villains and heros were, but some of the unexpected is also thrown in. I love this. Dickens is one of my favorite authors and Collins follows a close second now. This is written in a very "Dickens-like" manner.

What does Josephine Bailey and Simon Prebble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration is excellent. When reading a book, one derives a picture of the people from descriptions, but adding a voice to these people makes that description all the more vivid. The voices they portrayed were perfect in creating the image of a living person to the characters.

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

There were several, but finding the "Woman in White's" identity and relationship to other characters in the story was of course a highlight. This is also where some of the unexpected moments occur, but I don't want to write a "spoiler" here so I will leave well enough alone.

Any additional comments?

This is the first Wilkie Collins novel I have "read". It is also the first audiobook I have listened to. I will be reading or listening to more of Wilkie Collins' works in the future. I wasn't sure that I would like audiobooks. I am an avid reader and love the classics along with many other genres, but I discovered that I could "read" twice as many books by using audio books as well as the written ones. I bought a blue tooth speaker that was loud enough to listen to while I do my housework and now those chores fly by also! Audible is a great investment and I will continue to listen as well as read my books.

great book

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

saw this book on someone else' s must read list. I love period history so decided to read. I hated for it to end. I loved the characters and wanted more. Often I can guess the endings of a book but this one you don't see it coming. very well written.

Speechless.

What a mind, what a soul, what a craft constitute this utmost masterpiece of literature. From the prose to the characters to the sui generis, overwhelming story, The Woman in White bears witness of the superior intellect and talent of Mr. Collins at its best.
It is a masterpiece cleverly constructed to the depths of creativity, unsurpassed intelligence, and beautiful prose.
It is a story that behooves every individual who indulges in the art of words and life to read.

Elegantly written, artfully constructed

Any additional comments?

I wish more books were written and narrated with as much class as Woman in White. Artfully laid out as a series of narratives from the unique perspective of each character in turn, cleverly reflecting the personality of each, and woven into an intriguing story. No hype or bustle, just elegant literature with an captivating plot.