The Woman in White, a novel by Wilkie Collins, is a mystery narrated by draughtsman and artist Walter Hartwright and various other characters within the tale. It was published in 1860. The story begins with Walter’s late night meeting of the titular woman dressed in white who he rescues from a group of pursuers. Walter goes to work in the service of the selfish and unpleasant Mr Fairlie as a drawing instructor and in doing so meets his niece Laura who strongly resembles the mysterious woman in white. Walter falls in love with Laura, but naturally there is a hitch. Laura does love Walter but is engaged to Sir Percival Glyde. Deceit, love and various unmaskings ensue that explain the strange confinement within an asylum of Anne Catherick. I seriously thought about reading this novel before going to see the show in London, but I decided I’d rather be surprised by the plot when I saw it. I’ve since had a chance to read it, and quickly realized what a challenge this must have been to adapt to the stage. The plot is very intricate and complicated, which is further enhanced by the fact that the story is told from multiple points of view, with the narrator frequently changing. It’s a compelling mystery that is hard to put down, and is also an interesting historical novel. The characters are well-developed, especially Marian and the villianous Count Fosco. You can read more about the novel at this site. |