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!

[Terpsichore]

PS apologies about the spoilers, I hadn’t had time to read the whole thing myself.

[Piggywaspushed]

@Terpsichore

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

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

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

No worries! It looks like a good read.

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

@Terpsichore

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

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

Very good 😁

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

More merch ideas 🤔
Sketchbooks, pens and diaries.
Elaborate silk waistcoats in garish colours.

[StColumbofNavron]

To echo everyone else, I really enjoyed this section. I think Count Fosco will remain with me for a long time, he is just such an awful, but compelling character with his eccentricities and scheming charm. I loved Marian's tone in her diary, it really all was so fast paced. Laura reminded me of the middle eastern and Indian films I grew up with where the heroine would also quietly surrender to her fate, but have an underlying strength.

I am intrigued by what is to come, what will become of Anne and will she be back and will we find out what happened, how far will Glyde and Fosco go and will we see Hartright again, given he has commissioned this 'evidence' I think.

I'm definitely supportive of reading more in September and finishing this year.

[Piggywaspushed]

I have just started reading on. Which is worth it, just for the incredulous amusement at what a complete narcissistic arse Frederick is.

I reckon we probably all know someone a bit like him. Mine would be my DM....

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

Oh dear, Piggy😄

I was watching Austen's Emma on the television recently and Emma's father reminded me of Frederick Fairlie. At least he cared for Emma, however. Fairlie doesn't have any redeeming features. Narcissistic arse describes him well!

[CountFosco]

Just finished August's section (late). Marian's diary I think is the highlight of the whole book, particularly her midnight adventure on the verandah (last read it over a decade ago, possibly closer to 20 and that section really stayed with me). She feels so modern and her section is so readable, such a page turner with all the little hints that they are being spied on. My favourite bit, although we do have Fosco to look forward to later.

Thankyou for all the information on how popular the book was as well. I would love to know what the WIW perfume smelt like.

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

I'm guessing Lily of the Valley inspired by Laura.

I've just read Frederick Fairlie's account. So many funny lines!

[StColumbofNavron]

Was just checking in to remind myself where to read too (loved Fairlie) and see we have Fosco towards the end of book. Really looking forward to that.

[Piggywaspushed]

I just found this rather bewildering anecdote on Twitter about Dickens basically being stalked by Hans Christian Andersen!

twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1570821813047013378

[Terpsichore]

That’s so funny, Piggy…..I read a biography of Andersen once; he did indeed batten on to Dickens, but that was just a small part of his weirdness. He was a VERY strange man in many ways. No social awareness whatsoever by the sounds of it.

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

Thanks for that, Piggy. Oh dear! He did seem to be a bit of a loon! Laughing at the half-hearted invitation. 'If you're ever in the neighbourhood, drop in' and he turns up!

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

Timely bump ahead of our next discussion!

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

Another end-of-the-month bump!

[Piggywaspushed]

Yup - nearly there ! Five pages to read tonight!

Here is my facial expression

[Piggywaspushed]

Well, this was quite some section, wasn't it? Intrigue! Deception! Misogyny! Creepy quackery! And casual racism. Awkward.

Collins' creation of voices is very artful, possibly even more so than Dickens.I couldn't bear Mrs Michelson at first , but I warmed to her as the section grew (although she seemed unable to see through Fosco) as she seemed uncomplicated (apart from the racism,natch) and honest.

Hoorah for the returning Walter!

Quite the twist - bring on the third Epoch.

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

It was a very good section. My favourite part of the book is Marian eavesdropping on Fosco and Glyde, but this was very good.

I agree about Mrs Michelson. You could see how she could be taken in by Fosco's charm though.

The reunion between Walter and his Mama was very sweet. The returning hero :) That was a brilliant cliffhanger at the end. Poor Marian seems quite broken.

[Palegreenstars]

I love Fredrick Fairlie, I think he’s such a funny character.

Heaven’s the Young People!

I know I mentioned it before but one of the characters in Fingersmith is inspired by him (with a modern twist on what he does all day) and I just think he’s perfectly written.

[Terpsichore]

Collins was great at differentiating the voices, wasn’t he? I really loved the Frederick Fairlie bits for the humour. He was very clever to leaven his cliff-hanging drama with funny passages.

But other than that, the gradually-building dread of what’s happening to Laura and Marian is brilliantly done. I think having it narrated by Mrs Michelson is especially clever, because given all we know, we (the readers) are impotently screaming at her not to believe anything Fosco and co say. Psychologically, it’s so acute.

[CountFosco]

What a fabulous cliff hanger, imagine getting to the end of the second book and then having to wait for the third to come out!

Agree the voices are really distinctive and the changes of pace are clever. Fredrick Fairlie's comedic section coming straight after Marian's with the building drama is so clever.

[Piggywaspushed]

I've never read Fingersmith. I did watch it on the telly!

I'v read other Sarah Waters and just not warmed to them but I might see what I think.

I did find the sections on Victorian quackery interesting this month. Cupping and bleeding , and mesmerism all got a look in.

I really recommend a brilliant book for anyone interested in women's healthcare which has fascinating - if gruesome- sections on Victorian medicine : Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn.

[ChessieFL]

This was another great section - two OMG moments! I like the device of using all these different characters to tell the story from different perspectives. I’m very intrigued to see where this is going, as I don’t know anything about the story.

[Palegreenstars]

Ooh I’ve got Unwell Women somewhere!

yes I didn’t get on with the other Waters I read (the paying guests) but Fingersmith in a class of its own.