Skip to content

The Woman in White

The Woman in White

ClassicsGothic
Published
1860
Language
English

Synopsis

A young drawing master's life takes a dark turn when he encounters a mysterious woman on a moonlit road. Soon, he's entangled in a web of deceit and danger involving a wealthy baronet and his peculiar Italian associate. This classic Victorian mystery explores themes of identity and madness within the grand estates of England.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

DarkTenseMysteriousAtmospheric
Secret IdentityBetrayalMorally Grey

Genres

Classics Gothic Literary Fiction Mystery Historical Fiction Suspense Romance

About the author

W
Wilkie Collins

William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist, playwright and short story writer best known for The Woman in White (1859) and The Moonstone (1868). The last has been called the first modern English detective novel. Born to the family of a painter, William Collins, in London, he grew up in Italy and France, learning French and Italian. He began work as a clerk for a tea merchant. After his first novel, Antonina, appeared in 1850, he met Charles Dickens, w...

Characters

Sir Percival GlydeAntagonist
Anne CatherickSupporting
All characters in The Woman in White

Frequently asked questions

  • Is The Woman in White a standalone novel?

    The Woman in White is a complete story within a single volume, offering a fully resolved narrative without requiring any prior reading or leaving major plot threads open for a sequel.

  • Are there any notable adaptations of The Woman in White?

    This novel has been adapted multiple times for film, television, and radio, with several prominent BBC productions. Readers often debate the merits of the various interpretations, particularly regarding their faithfulness to the novel's intricate plot and characterizations.

  • What makes The Woman in White significant in literary history?

    The Woman in White is widely considered one of the earliest and most influential examples of detective fiction and sensation novels. It helped establish many tropes still seen in mystery and thriller genres today, particularly its use of multiple narrators and a complex, unfolding conspiracy.

Read all 4 reviews