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!

Hello All!

That was such a brilliant segment.

Marian was excellent. Laura did rise in my estimation. Count Fosco pirouetting in his purple morrocan slippers 💜 I love Count Fosco, for all that he is an arch villain.

Back later!

I'm too exhausted by work to set my thoughts down coherently, but yay, #teamMarian. And Laura is not so bad.

The rising tension as Marian and Laura become increasingly trapped and isolated was brilliantly done.

Who would play Marian in a film do you think?

there’s a production of WIW in a few weeks at my local park in a few weeks - really want to go but also don’t want to spoil anything.

I love Dickens and actually think he does some good women (eg in David Copperfield the ferocious aunt, and watserface in Bleak House) but agree that Collins makes a fascinatingly independent soul in Marian (seems 'ugliness' frees women, though... hmmm)

Dickens was very widely read by men. Does anyone know if Collins' readership was more female? I feel more like he is writing 'for' educated women , whereas Dickens writes about them.

I would be so tempted to go and see it Palegreenstars! I'd probably go.

There are so many great moments in this part, nearly too many to mention. I think it's awful for the two women to have to keep up appearances and engage in civilities with Fosco and Glyde all the while being oppressed by them.

"There was something horrible-something fierce and devilish-in the outburst of his delight at his own singing and playing and in the triumph with which he watched its effect upon me as I shrank nearer and nearer to the door".

So very creepy!

Esther Summerson, Piggy! I read Bleak House during August. She is a great character and she became more outspoken after becoming scarred by smallpox, more freed by ugliness, in that sense.

That's a good point about male/female readership. It would be interesting to know.

Yes, Collins builds the sense of dread so well, as they all have to go about their business pretending to observe the polite civilities of society while all knowing perfectly well that dastardly things are afoot. Fosco really is one of the great creations of 19thc literature.

@Palegreenstars I'm wondering if someone like Nicola Walker could be Marian, if we’re thinking contemporary actors? She isn’t conventionally 'pretty' but she has that strength and energy.

There was a TV adaptation back in 1982 and Diana Quick was a good Marian

Hi everyone, I'm a bit behind this month but still finding WIW such a fantastic read, there's a real sense of dread building isn't there? Count Fosco really is a snake. Agree that Laura did well to stand up to her husband, she's coming into her own now.

Hi InTheCludgie! Yes, it's a real page turner!

I'm rereading chapter nine tonight. I would hate to think of Count Fosco's blood sugar levels, between his eau sucrée and his weakness for a full fruit tart accompanied by nearly a full jug of cream!

Hi all! Having been catching up for the last two months, I finished this month’s chapters a couple of weeks ago as I was going on holiday and didn’t want to take the book with me. I wasn’t online for most of yesterday so haven’t had chance to post.

This was a great section, lots of action. I agree with others that Marian is a fantastic character, and Count Fosco is just a brilliant creation - the bit that sticks in my mind is him just sitting there with his pet mice crawling all over him.

Piggy I was going to suggest that October’s section is merged with either September or November, as October’s section is only about 10 pages in my copy. That would mean we’ll finish it this year!

Yes, I agree. I think we should read to the end of the second epoch this moth - ie September- as that seems neater.

This is in bold so people notice it!

Just going back to your interesting thought about Collins's readership, Piggy, I've been browsing online and found a dissertation by someone called Sue Lonoff - from a good while ago, 1978, but it focuses on Collins and starts with an overview of Victorian fiction and the aim of its writers to reach as wide an audience as possible:

Every genre of Victorian fiction, from the silver-fork novels of the 1830s to the intellectual novels of the 1870s, was designed for domestic consumption. Every author realized that his books went into households where they were accessible to people of all ages.

And of Collins specifically: In his lifetime, Collins was known for his complex, ingenious plots. Some critics denounced them as mechanical - Trollope, though ad­miring, claimed that he could "never lose the taste of the construction" - while others, like Swinburne, found them technically 'far be­yond the reach of any contemporary.' However mixed the critical verdict, he was very popular with ordinary readers, and even the high­brow Meredith suggested that Hardy study him to learn the art of narra­tive. The Woman in White, the rage of 1860, confirmed his fame as a sensational novelist and remained his best known book throughout the century.

I haven’t had time to read the whole thing but so far she hasn’t distinguished between a male and female readership. It is really interesting, though, on how thoroughly Collins researched and prepared his books, eg reading everything aloud to himself to be sure it flowed properly and sounded natural. Here’s the link if you’d like to read it

Oh look! 😁

Thank you Terpsichore, that's really interesting. I'll have a look at the link later. I do think that the WIW is easy to read. It flows well and it's easy to become immersed in it. I enjoy reading Dickens, but I have to pace myself. It's more demanding on the reader's concentration. It takes a lot more processing time.

Hi Chessie! * *Count Fosco and his pet mice is the one thing I remembered about him from reading the book a long time ago. The tenderness that he displays towards his mice contrasts with his evil machinations towards the women. He seems to feel real affection for Marian all the while opposing her and causing harm. The close of Marian's diary was really chilling.

Yes, @IsFuzzyBeagMise, I agree, there's a chatty, conversational quality about TWIW that makes it feel very modern, and the humour (Frederick Fairlie's section especially, where the reader is invited to be in on the joke of his ridiculousness) is extremely appealing to a 21st C reader. I think Collins's raciness - maybe something that might have raised eyebrows in his time? - works in his favour with a contemporary audience.

I agree @Terpsichore Conversational came to mind when I wrote my post earlier and then I wondered if I was correct. I think that's a great point about Frederick Fairlie. I noticed that even in the section we just read, Percival Glyde said something disparaging about him, dismissing him as useless or whatever.

I must read my biog of Collins that’s been sitting on my tbr shelf forever!

Can’t remember whether I’ve said this before, but Paul Lewis, of Radio 4 Moneybox fame, is a massive Collins devotee and expert.

This looks fascinating and I shall read it later!

I've dipped into it and it's very good, but watch out! There's a spoiler in chapter two!

This is good, on the popularity of TWIW.

And also in Chapter four! It's best to read this after reading the book I think. I like it though. It also discusses The Moonstone which I've read.

Oh, thanks for the heads up!!

I would have loved to have been a Victorian reader - going to listen to Dickens, taking bets on Collins. Such larks if you were part of the emerging leisure classes.

I'd probably have been a scullery maid, knowing my luck.

And the merch!

Hands up who now wants a Woman In White bonnet and cloak?!

Me 😂

Oh, me too! I wonder what the perfume was like?!

There should have been a range of Count Fosco sugar mice……