The Woman in White

Friday, 27th November 2009

I've had Wilkie Collins on my To Read list for, well, for years now. Somehow it's never happened. And with a dozen or so still-not-finished books at the moment it would be foolish to add another to that menacing pile. On the other hand, it's 150 years since The Woman in White was first published by Charles Dickens's All Year Round (Does exactly what it says on the tin...) and so really one ought to read it this year...

The first episode appeared in the issue of November 26th 1959.Now some canny fellows are "re-publishing" the novel in serial form. Each week's episode will be available to read online here and you can also email them and they'll send a PDF of the chapter to you every week. Hurrah for the internets!

The web, in fact, would seem made for the return of the classic serial. (Indeed, didn't Stephen King write a novel that was published on the web, chapter by chapter, though available only to those who paid for it?) One can imagine how publishing a novel in serial form on the web could be one, though like everything in the future, niche, revenue stream for authors. It might pay better than some publishers...

Not the same, as Susan Hill says, as having the book or magazine in your paws but not nothing either. Anyway, I'm looking forward to making Mr Collins's acquaintance after all this, too long, time.

Filed under: Books (174 more articles) , Internet (80 more articles)

Previous Back to Alex Massie Next

Blogs: Martin Bright | Susan Hill | Melanie Phillips | Coffee House | Faith Based

Actions: Print this article | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (3)

Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Post comment

Dara

November 28th, 2009 3:52am Report this comment

I never read The Woman in White, but I did enjoy The Moonstone greatly, and I'm always disappointed that it doesn't enjoy the same amount of renown. Is there a reason for that?

Fergus Pickering

November 28th, 2009 10:08am Report this comment

Naw! Gone on Alex. Have a real Scotch spending spree and buy the book. I bet you can pick it up second-hand. You won't regret it.

Fergus Pickering

November 28th, 2009 11:57am Report this comment

Yes, Dara, there's a reason for that. The Moonstone can be regarded as the first detective story. The Woman in White is a terrific Victorian melodrama with a splendid fat villain (Sidney Greenstreet or Gert Frobe), a creepy aristocratic villain (has to be Ralph Fiennes) and a heroine of resource and dash who has a moustache (Katherine Hepburn I suppose though she doesn't do moustaches) and a wet heroine (a shoo-in for Kiera Knightley) Collins' masterpiece!

Post comment