The Penguin English Library Edition of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins 'In one moment, every drop of blood in my body was brought to a stop ... There, as if it had that moment sprung out of the earth ... stood the figure of a solitary Woman, dressed from head to foot in white' The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter is drawn into the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his 'charming' friend Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the paths and corridors of English country houses and the madhouse, The Woman in White is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism. The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.
Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins was a prominent English novelist and playwright in the 19th century, known for his innovative detective fiction and sensational novels. His most notable works include "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone," which are considered classics in the mystery genre. Collins was a pioneer in incorporating elements of suspense, intrigue, and psychological depth into his storytelling, influencing later writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. His intricate plots, complex characters, and vivid descriptions continue to captivate readers today, cementing his legacy as a master of Victorian literature.