Black Secrets Cloak Wilkie Collins's Woman in White
Read the article this discussion is about
- pamela_saint
- smartprofessor
- smartprofessor
- pamela_saint
- smartprofessor
- smartprofessor
- pamela_saint
- Sunbear
- pamela_saint
- JeNNyWeNa
This archived discussion is "read only".
For the corresponding "live" discussions, post in the active topic forum here.
« Previous 1 2 Next »
» pamela_saint - Re: Woman in White
In response to message posted by Ireland:Thanks, Irene. One of the more interesting elements, to me, was Collins's decision to use different characters as narrators. If you do find the chance to leaf through the novel, I'd love to know what you think of it!
Cheers from Chilly Boston!
-- posted by pamela_saint
» smartprofessor - Misquotation
Maybe the US version has changed character names, but I doubt it. The drawing master is called Walter 'HARTRIGHT', not 'Hartwright', and the female lead is MARIAN, not Miriam. If you make mistakes like this in essays, it seems that you have not paid attention to what you are reading. You have the book in front of you, for f**k's sake! Copy the character names! How hard can it be???-- posted by smartprofessor
» smartprofessor - Re: Re: wow.
In response to message posted by pamela_saint:A movie would be good, as long as it is made by an English company and helmed by an English director - no American Hollywood remakes with quaint little English people played by American actors faking English accents badly, please.
-- posted by smartprofessor
» pamela_saint - Re: Re: Re: wow.
In response to message posted by smartprofessor:Yes, please no Gwyneth... 
-- posted by pamela_saint
» smartprofessor - Help!
Which other books by Wilkie Collins do you recommend? He's written loads and I love his writing and the way he focuses on characters other writers would disregard, such as those with physical deformities, or the working class, but I don't know where to start with his other work. He's written so much!-- posted by smartprofessor
» smartprofessor - Re: Re: Woman in White
In response to message posted by pamela_saint:I think the use of different narrators makes the narration more realistic - usually writers have one character narrating and they have to be omniscient which forces the writer to put them into unlikely situations in order for them to overhear information and communicate it to the reader. The use of multiple narrators means that the reader can discover all the information they need, in a plausible fashion. Also the types of narrators Collins chooses are unlikely ones - I thought Marian was a feminist icon, although obviously it was not possible for her to be clever AND beautiful, so it had to be split into two characters, the wussy pathetic but pretty Laura and the resourceful, intelligent but minging Marian.
-- posted by smartprofessor
» pamela_saint - Re: Re: Re: Woman in White
In response to message posted by smartprofessor:Yes, God forbid a woman be pretty AND smart!
I, too, enjoy his using different characters to bring to light different points of view, while simultaneously propelling the story forward. I've read The Moonstone and must confess to not enjoying it as much as I did The Woman in White; I didn't find the characters as interesting, except for the butler, who was hilarious, and some of the situations weren't entirely plausible. I haven't read anything else by Collins yet, but The Dead Secret, I think, is next on my list. If you read (or have read) this or the Moonstone, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on either of those two novels.
-- posted by pamela_saint
» Sunbear - White (dressed in) Women
Hi Pamela,Well, this was a surprise! This review happened before I became enchanted with your topic.
Like you, I read the Moonstone and am lukewarm toward it. I just may read this one, as it seems a bit more sophisticated and charming.
Thanks for an interestingly written review/assessment.
Tom
-- posted by Sunbear
» pamela_saint - Re: White (dressed in) Women
In response to message posted by Sunbear:
Hi Tom,
Thanks for poking around the archives! Yes, I'm glad I read The Woman in White first; otherwise, I'd be less tempted to read his other works.
Hope the new year is treating you well. Here in the northeast, it's treating us with below zero temperatures. I've become a house hermit when obligations don't drag me outside.
-- posted by pamela_saint
« Previous 1 2 Next »
Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion.