I read this book when I was i high school and it never left me. ( )

What an immense joy to read. In a bid to read a bit more thoughtfully (contrary to belief, reading 100+ a year does not make one happy), I started on this 150 year suspense novel I had wasting on my shelf. I decided to read it in the original serial context as well, tracking each of the forty instalments alongside their original dates of publication. It's even inspired me begin a Victorian Serial Bookclub with my lovely partner as well--you can tell I loved this thing!

Taking a little over a week to read, The Woman in White was one of the most riveting reads I'd had since Rebecca. Following an intricate web of players and the central mystery of the "woman in white", the novel is a perfect mix of suspense, drama, characterization and social critique. Despite the novel's age, it reads easily, and Collins' is simply a master at creating unbearable tension. One of the central issues I saw play out in the pages was the reality of the lack of rights of women. Anyone who has lived their life as a woman can feel alongside Laura and Miriam's slow and horrific realization that they are trapped: physically, emotionally, and even legally. That psychological element was stunning; I can't think of another Victorian novel I've read that does that. I NEED to find more.

Anyways, I can't wait to get my hands on more of Wilkie Collins' work. I'm honestly blown away. I cannot recommend this more!!! ( )

Long and Victorian but an easy read. Not complicated by metaphor or symbolism. Highly recommended for its sharp and prescient commentary on the pernicious English marriage laws of the nineteenth century. ( )

What took me so long to read this wonderful suspenseful and well written classic? I rarely read mysteries and I was really surprised to find that a book first published in 1859 could be so chilling and mysterious and be as fresh and exciting today as it was in 1859

I started reading the book as part of a group read and the idea was to read the novel as it was originally published in weekly serial format and while I did try to stick with the rules I am afraid my curiosity and willpower got the better of me and I just could not put down this compelling and extremely well written mystery. So my apologies to the group for not sticking with the format of reading but grateful for the push to read a book that I might otherwise have missed out on.

" A mysterious figure, a woman in white, appears out of nowhere on a London street at midnight running away from someone or something and in a distressed state, she meets Walter Hartright, an a teacher of Art and little does he know but this mysterious lady will haunt him and change the course of his life.

Manor Houses, ghostly figures by gravesides, mysterious letters and asylums and devious characters are what make this such a compelling read. The story is narrated by several different characters, all portraying their their own experiences. The book is just under 700 pages and is quite a read and yet the pacing and plot development is extremely well thought out. I downloaded the book on my kindle but was informed by a friend that there existed an absolutely amazing audio version narrated by Josephine Bailey and Simon Prebble and while I was skeptical that my interest could be sustained for over 25 hours decided to download the Audio as well and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the production and the fact that I was able to read and listen really added to the the overall enjoyment of this book. My only regret is my lack of discipline to read this one over the period of weeks as per the reading groups instructions.

A great book for readers who enjoy classics or Victorian mysteries with terrific plot lines with well developed characters and a little romance with good old fashioned twists and turns. ( )

Enjoyed this book quite a bit. The first few pages really grabbed me, and then when the book seemed to lag about half way through, it made a couple turns, and turned into something quite different. White's use of different points of view, though startling the first time, worked very well, and helped make the book seem maybe more modern than it would have otherwise. Will read more of his stuff. ( )