Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Intro Tuesdays - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

A First Paragraph meme hosted by Diane @ Bibliophile by the Sea




The book I'm reading this week is The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I love it! He's a great story teller with a touch of humor that I never imagined in a Victorian author. This is the first time I've read any of his books. Are they all like this? I'll certainly be looking out for more of his work in the future. The Moonstone perhaps?

Okay so here's the opening paragraph. It's a little convoluted, but after the first page or two it makes sense and really gets going.

This is the story of what a Woman's patience can endure, and what a Man's resolution can achieve.
If the machinery of the Law could be depended on to fathom every case of suspicion, and to conduct every process of inquiry, with moderate assistance only from the lubricating influences of oil and gold, the events which fill these pages might have claimed their share of the public attention in a Court of Justice.
But the Law is still, in certain inevitable cases, the pre-engaged servant of the long purse; and the story is left to be told, for the first time, in this place. As the Judge might once have heard it, so the Reader shall hear it now. No circumstance of importance, from the beginning to the end of the disclosure, shall be related on hearsay evidence. When the writer of these introductory lines (Walter Hartright, by name) happens to be more closely connected than his own person. When his experience fails, he will retire from the position of narrator; and his task will be continued, from the point at which he has left it off, by other persons who can speak to the circumstances under notice from their own knowledge, just as clearly and positively as he has spoken before them.

7 comments:

Story said...

I am currently reading THE WOMAN IN WHITE also. I am really enjoying it as well. There are some surprises about half way through the book, and I can't put it down! I carry it in my purse just in case a get any free time while at work! I am anxious to hear your final thoughts on the book.

Trish said...

It's a great book, isn't it! I had no idea . . .

I've been carrying it around with and sneaking paragraphs here and there. Funny how we do stuff like that when a book is just too good to put down.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I've so been wanting to read this book. Sounds awesome. Thanks so much for participating.

Cat said...

I loved this book, too. Very hard to put down.

Trish said...

I can't believe it's taken me this long to 'discover' it!

Tracy said...

It's on my TBR shelf - I will be reading it sometime this year - I saw a TV drama of it years ago and enjoyed it.

BookQuoter said...

Love this book. I have Moonstone also for the Victorian chalenge.