The Woman in White
Wilkie Collins
The Woman in White
4.02from 171,020 ratingson Goodreads
"The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins is a mystery novel written in 1860. When a young drawing teacher encounters a mysterious woman dressed entirely in white on a London street, he unknowingly steps into a web of secrets and conspiracy. His new position teaching at an English estate draws him deeper into danger as he discovers sinister connections between the strange woman, his beautiful student, and her wealthy fiancé. Identity, deception, and a desperate fight for truth drive this early detective story.
About the book
Published in instalments in 1859 and 1860, The Woman in White begins with a drawing teacher, Walter Hartright, meeting a mysterious woman dressed entirely in white on a moonlit road near London. He soon learns she has escaped from an asylum, and her story becomes entangled with those of his pupils, Laura Fairlie and her half-sister Marian Halcombe. Wilkie Collins tells the story through the testimony of several narrators, as if presenting evidence in court, and builds a plot of stolen identity, marriage and inheritance. The novel was a great popular success and helped to create the sensation novel. Its villain, the charming Count Fosco, remains one of the most memorable in Victorian fiction.
Characters
Walter Hartright — Drawing teacher
A young artist who meets a mysterious woman in white on a moonlit road.
Laura Fairlie — Heiress
A gentle young woman engaged by her father’s wish to Sir Percival Glyde.
Marian Halcombe — Laura’s half-sister
Laura’s clever, resolute half-sister and fiercest protector.
Anne Catherick — The woman in white
A fragile young woman escaped from an asylum, who resembles Laura strangely.
Sir Percival Glyde — Baronet
Laura’s fiancé, charming in public and with a secret to keep.
Count Fosco — Glyde’s friend
A huge, charming Italian count with a love of white mice and canaries.
Frederick Fairlie — Laura’s uncle
Laura’s selfish, hypochondriac uncle and guardian.
Madame Fosco — Count Fosco’s wife
Laura’s aunt, once lively, now silent and devoted to her husband.