The Woman in White

wilkie collins

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP

One woman's journey through madness, murder, and mistaken identity -- a classic work of Victorian sensationalism.
THIS ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION
• A concise introduction that gives readers important background information
• A chronology of the author's life and work
• A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context
• An outline of the key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations
• Detailed explanatory notes
• Critical analysis including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work
• Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction
• A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. the scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

Genres classicsmysterygothichorror19th centuryvictorianhistorical fictionliteratureaudiobookbook club

784 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 26,1859

Literary awards

audie award,

Places

cumberland england, london england, hampshire england, england, united kingdom,

This edition

Format: 784 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published: October 1, 2005 by Simon \u0026 Schuster
ISBN: 9781416509790
ASIN: 1416509798
Language: English

Characters More characters

About the author

wilkie collins

Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright, best known for The Woman in White (1860), an early sensation novel, and The Moonstone (1868), a pioneering work of detective fiction. Born to landscape painter William Collins and Harriet Geddes, he spent part of his childhood in Italy and France, learning both languages. Initially working as a tea merchant, he later studied law, though he never practiced. His literary career began with Antonina (1850), and a meeting with Charles Dickens in 1851 proved pivotal. The two became close friends and collaborators, with Collins contributing to Dickens' journals and co-writing dramatic works.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.