Publisher's Synopsis
The Woman in White is Wilkie Collins' fifth published novel, written in 1859. It is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of "sensation novels." The story is sometimes considered an early example of detective fiction with protagonist Walter Hartright employing many of the sleuthing techniques of later private detectives. The use of multiple narrators (including nearly all the principal characters) draws on Collins's legal training, and as he points out in his Preamble: "the story here presented will be told by more than one pen, as the story of an offence against the laws is told in Court by more than one witness." In 2003, Robert McCrum writing for The Observer listed The Woman in White number 23 in "the top 100 greatest novels of all time"and the novel was listed at number 77 on the BBC's survey The Big Read. Plot--Walter Hartright, a young art teacher, directs a mysterious and distressed woman dressed entirely in white; but later learns that she has escaped from an asylum. Soon afterward, he travels to Limmeridge House in Cumberland, having been hired as a drawing master on the recommendation of his friend, Pesca, an Italian language master. The Limmeridge household comprises the invalid Frederick Fairlie, and Walter's students: Laura Fairlie, Mr. Fairlie's niece, and Marian Halcombe, her devoted half-sister. Walter realizes that Laura bears an astonishing resemblance to the woman in white, who is known to the household by the name of Anne Catherick: a mentally disabled child who formerly lived near Limmeridge, and was devoted to Laura's mother, who first dressed her in white. Over the next few months, Walter and Laura fall in love, and Marian advises Walter to leave Limmeridge. Anne later sends a letter to Laura, warning her against her betrothed, Sir Percival Glyde, Baronet; and Walter, upon conversation with Anne, becomes convinced that Glyde originally placed Anne in the asylum. Despite the misgivings of the family lawyer over the financial terms of the marriage settlement, Laura and Glyde marry in December 1849 and travel to Italy for six months. Concurrently, Walter joins an expedition to Honduras. After six months, Sir Percival and Lady Glyde return to his house, Blackwater Park in Hampshire; accompanied by Glyde's friend, Count Fosco (married to Laura's aunt). Marian, at Laura's request, resides at Blackwater, and learns that Glyde is in financial difficulties. Glyde attempts to bully Laura into signing a document which would allow him to use her marriage settlement of 20,000; and when this fails, Glyde reveals to Fosco the resemblance between Laura and Anne, and Fosco plots to exchange Laura for the terminally-ill Anne, and thus claim Laura's fortune through a pretence of her death. Marian overhears part of this plan; but becomes soaked by rain, and contracts typhus. While Marian is ill, Laura is tricked into travelling to London, and the plan is accomplished. Anne Catherick dies and is buried as Laura, while Laura is drugged and conveyed to the asylum as Anne. When Marian visits the asylum, hoping to learn something from Anne, she finds Laura and bribes the nurse, and Laura escapes. Walter has meanwhile returned from Honduras, and the three live incognito, among plans to restore Laura's identity. During his research, Walter discovers that Glyde was illegitimate, and therefore not entitled to inherit his title or property. In the belief that Walter has discovered or will discover his secret, Glyde attempts to incinerate the incriminating documents; but perishes in the flames. From Anne's mother (Jane Catherick), Walter discovers that Anne never knew what Glyde's secret was. She had only know that there was a secret around Glyde and had repeated words her mother had said in anger to threaten Glyde and then later got the idea into her head that she knew the secret...
