WomanInWhitealong readalong 2022/3

[Piggywaspushed]

After several years of Dickensalongs, we have decided to ring the changes and read The Woman in White together. All welcome - old faithfuls and newcomers!

This was published in 40 instalments which is a bit much!

So I have tried to split it via the various voices as follows -

The First Epoch :
June - The Story begun by Walter Hartright
July - Vincent Gilmore
Marian Halcombe
The Second Epoch:
August - Marian
September - Frederick Fairlie
Eliza Michelson
October - The Story continued in several narratives : Hester - Walter (takes us up to end of second epoch)
The Third Epoch :
November - Walter
December - Mrs Catherick ; Walter
January 2023 - Fosco ; Walter

Eight months in total.

I hope all the editions match this. The Collins has these parts clearly marked at the beginning - in amongst all this are chapters so it is touch confusing and the Penguin edition is less clear. I tried to do something with original instalments but some of them ended mis chapter (as Collins changed his chronology in 1861!) . My instalments do vary quite wildly in length.

We begin this month so grab a copy and join me!

Thank you for posting that article, Piggy!
An interesting read and thought-provoking.

I'm really enjoying this reread of TWIW. I loved it the first time round but I have a deeper appreciation of it now in the maturity of my middle age (ahem!)

The story is gripping, it's fast-paced. The various narrators keep the reader engaged and their different points of view flesh out the story. Collins' writing is definitely less convoluted than Dickens', less wordy, he gets to the point. You are drawn into the intrigue almost immediately.

There is a delicious sense of doom and gloom from the start. Walter had a sense of foreboding even on reading the terms of his contract that something wasn't right. He had to be virtually pushed onto the train by Pesca to take up his position, he was so reluctant to go! Pesca is an enjoyable character. He reminded me of the cheerful Italian in 'Little Dorrit'. All Italians are cheerful :)

I was also fascinated by the asylum and the tragic figure of the woman in white. It must be an intriguing subject to read about, Piggy, the institutionalisation and mistreatment of women, in particular, during that time.

I agree with the comments on Marian. She is a superb character; intelligent, adventurous, fearless. Laura is so pale in comparison. As for Walter's comments on her face, well, how rude! I agree that Laura is meant to be the epitome of all that is feminine. I think it's a pity that Marian always puts herself down as a 'mere woman'. I wish she didn't! She is a tour de force in the story.

I also enjoyed the humorous comments on Mrs Vessey, who is always found in a seated position and Mr. Fairlie who is 'unpleasantly delicate'.

Jessie Buckley, professional 'plain' actress (not plain at all!) played Marian in the most recent version and also the less wimpy/ pretty/ vapid one in War and Peace .

I like her as she plays those strong women well. I would definitely like to see a version where Marian is played by a non white actress (although I think that makes Walter's opinions seem possibly racist. Maybe they are.)

I am looking forward to a change of narrator for a new version of events.

Has anyone read the Collins' short story 'A Terribly Strange Bed'?. It's very good fun.

I haven’t, Piggy, but I’ll look it up.

Collins was a character, all right. He lived with two women - at the same time - but was married to neither. I suspect he and Dickens got up to all sorts on their jolly jaunts abroad together. And Collins’s brother married Dickens’s daughter Katey.

I didn't know that at all, Terpsichore!

That sounds good, Piggy. I'll look it up.

I found it very difficult not to read ahead when I finished the first section, it makes a refreshing change from Dickens which has been a slog at times to keep up with. I'm loving the character of Marian, she's a bit like the literary version of the 'feisty friend' you see in a lot of these rom-com type films.

Oh gosh, I have a lot of books on the go but now I'm very tempted to join this thread. I will see if I can catch up on Part 1!

Do join in, Cassandre! It isn't a difficult read :)

This is much more of a page-turner than Dickens, isn't it? I think it could be quite hard to stick to the monthly instalments, especially since I've never read it before. (I may have seen a TV adaptation about 20 years ago, but I couldn't swear it wasn't actually The Moonstone.)

Agree with everyone that Marion is far more interesting than Laura, and Walter never should have friend-zoned her! I also liked the moment early on when Walter recognises that his mother's generation is much more free and easy than his own; we know this with the benefit of historical perspective when comparing the mid-Victorian with the regency period, but I didn't realise that the Victorians knew this about themselves.

I have revived an old username for this thread 😁. Not that I've reread any of Woman in White yet but I will soon so I can join in. Love Wilkie Collins for his interesting and complex female characters, so much better than Dickens IMHO.

Interesting article about Marion @Piggywaspushed , of course there is a mixed race character in Armadale as well.

Haha! Great username! I do remember this from the books thread (but now am confused by your alter ego....)

There were so many more people of colour in British society for centuries before period dramas and school history curriculums would have us believe. I seem to remember that the adaptation of Vanity Fair had one of the young society women played by a mixed race actress and much frothing ensued. Then some historians pointed out that it was highly possible that this could be the case because of Britain's role in the slave trade and its presence in India.

Hey Count Fosco! 👋

I haven't read 'Armadale'. Would you recommend it?

i am behind in June as got distracted by other things so just finished.

so pleased for all the love for Marian - she’s wonderful. Although her 2 page monologue when she meets Walter without a breath would probably be annoying even now.

ugh - Men always fall for ‘creatures’ like Laura in these books. But I did enjoy them not saying anything about it for 3 months - just the odd look.

i can see how much Sarah Waters is inspired by TWIW with Fingersmith which is one of my favourite books. The uncle is very similar.

so far so good. I raced through this section in 2 days - so going to pace myself for end of July.

I must look up 'Fingersmith'. Sounds interesting!

A bit late to the thread but I’ve had a copy of TWIW on my bookshelves for at least 15 years and never got round to reading it. I’ll make a start next week so I’m up to date by 1 August.

Al welcome!

We are reading to the end of the First Epoch this month everyone!

Oh I'm disappointed I missed this but I was thinking of reading it recently. I've been inspired!

I’m on a catch up mission and am still on Walter but I am so intrigued to find out who the woman was/is. I have seen the theatre production of this but cannot remember it at all.

I have caught up now and am enjoying it immensely. I’m looking forward to finding out more about Anne. I agree with others that Marion is far more interesting than Laura who hasn’t done anything except drip waifishly about the house.

The article about Marion’s race is also interesting and there’s definitely an argument that Collins intended her to be black. As well as the initial description there was another reference to her brown complexion.

It’s intriguing about Marian. At one point Mr Gilmore says she takes after her mother, Mrs Fairlie, who had dark hair and eyes. Laura - very fair in colouring - takes after her father, but the girls have the same mother. I guess there might be an unspoken implication that Mrs Fairlie could have some Anglo-Indian heritage or similar; that would certainly be not unusual at the time, as pps have said.

Is it wrong of me that, thanks to 'Gentleman Jack', I now keep getting mental images for Marian of a somewhat more ladylike Anne Lister?!

Bumping up the thread ahead of our next discussion :)

Thank you!

I have been having an extraordinarily stressful week but will finish the reading in time!

So, tis was an intrigue filled section and now Laura is married, poor thing. I am not sure Collins could signpost enough that Sir Percival is Bad News.

The lack of power of women comes across very strongly in this section and the financial control is shocking . However, Marian is an exception and rather a treasure, isn't she? She does fall for, and then unfall for , Sir P's charms. Her voice is very well done, and entertaining.

I loved this bit, which sums her up:

As it was, I dashed into Mr Fairlie's room- called to him as harshly as possible...and dashed out again without waiting for a word of an answer. I banged the door after me; and I hope I shattered Mr Fairlie's nervous system for the rest of the day.

Good old Laura!

I am a bit confused about Marian and Laura - how exactly are they related? I need a family tree!

I ❤️Marian. I admit it.

The first morning they meet, when Walter arrives at Limmeridge, Marian tells him:

'My mother was twice married, the first time to Mr Halcombe, my father; the second time to Mr Fairlie, my half-sister's father'.

It's Mr Gilmore who says later that Marian takes after her mother in being so dark-haired and dark-eyed (sorry, that may be a mini-spoiler - I couldn’t resist reading on). Laura's fairness comes from her father, Mr - er - Fairlie. Good old Collins, nothing if not literal!

Oh yes, we've done Mr Gilmore now, so it’s not a spoiler.

Sir Percival is an out-and-out bounder but Collins really goes for it with Count Fosco, who surely must be one of the most memorable characters in 19thc literature.

So , why doesn't Marian stand to inherit anything from Mr Fairlie Sr directly?