The Woman in White

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

By: Wilkie Collins

Narrated by: Toby Stephens, Juliet Aubrey, full cast

Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Toby Stephens and Juliet Aubrey star in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Wilkie Collins’ chilling Gothic drama.

A lonely stretch of road on Hampstead Heath is the venue for Walter Hartright’s midnight first encounter with a mysteriously distressed figure in white. As he helps the woman to escape from unnamed pursuers, he has little understanding of the way she will affect his future.

At Limmeridge House in Cumberland, Walter meets and falls in love with Laura, who strangely resembles the woman in white. She, however, is soon to marry the financially embarrassed Sir Percival Glyde. Events at Limmeridge take a surprising turn when Anne Catherick arrives, and Walter recognises her as the mystery figure. It appears that Anne’s recent incarceration in a mental asylum was at the behest of Sir Percival, who is all too aware of the secret she holds. More than one life will be lost before Walter’s mystery of the woman in white can be fully explained.

A strong cast brings Wilkie Collins’ tale to life in this BBC Radio 4 production, recorded on location at Beacon Hill, London, in 2001.

©2015 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2015 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Great performers!

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

I would recommend this book very highly. It's unusual, not often performed, mysterious and extremely well performed. My favorite of the stars performing in this dramatization is Juliet Aubrey, star of BBC's Middlemarch and BAFTA winner. Her narration of Deborah Levy's is another superb dramatization.

Great

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

Atmospheric. British. Mystery.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The leading man was very valiant. The heroine, though shaken, held it together. God bless both characters.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It's like listening to a play more than reading a book. Love Audible.

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

Very moving story.

very fun listening experience!

made my commute to and from work seem like no time at all. completely enjoyable listening experience.

A classic treated with respect in abridgment.

Superb acting. A fine adaptation of a fine novel. Well worth listening to even if you read the novel in college.

I'm a bit torn in my opinion here...

This has to be my favorite of Wilkie Collins books, but this rendition of his tale left me a bit empty feeling.

To dart with my likes: The Music is perfect, and the sound effects. Te actor who plays Anne Catherick has her character down to a tee, but Count Fosco steals the show! He is magnificent.

Wilkie Collins story is five stars, the reason I have put three, is because of how this dramatization was cut/chopped. After the halfway point I found the scene changes to be confusing and it wasn't always easy to know who was talking or where they were. It felt rather like I was listening to the movie though, this sticks to the book. I guess that to be perfectly honest that just wasn't what I was looking for. I hate to put anyone off this since it wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me.