Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1870Subjects: Family ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great read
This was the first book by Wilkie Collins that I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have now purchased all of his other books!

A harsh view of Victorian marriages
Man and Wife is a novel of two generations of marriages that end in disaster.However, the novel is much more than the story of a helpless Victorian bride at the mercy of her despotic husband.Instead, Man and Wife explores the complex laws surrounding Irish and Scottish marriages in the nineteenth century. Wilkie Collins's interest in the law, especially marriage and divorce, lead to a novel with endless legal loopholes concerning what constitututes a marriage and what doesn't.

The lives of two generation of friends named Anne and Blanche are forever changed by the laws concerning man and wife. The first generation Anne and Blanche are childhood friends. Anne Vanborough's Irish marriage is declared null and void by English law. She dies broken hearted and entreats her dearest friend, Anne, to look after he daughter also named Anne. As Anne lay dying she thinks of her daughter and wonders "will she end like me?".

After Anne's death, Blanche raises little Anne as her own. Little Anne and Blanche's daughter also named Blanche become best friends. However, history is determined to repeat itself in a much more tragic manner.

Another marriage comes under scrutiny. Another woman is forced to become an outcast by the legal system. Anne and Blanche are destined to relive the events that cursed their mothers. I absolutely recommend this novel to all WC fans. Many parts of the novel will move you to tears, others will leave you livid. In my opinion, Man and Wife features the most despicable character I've ever encountered in a Collins novel. An excellent read!

Great book!
This is a great book about the powerlessness of women in Great Britain, circa 1850, and how young Anne Silvester was finally able to overcome a looming hideous fate and triumph in the end. Equally as thrilling as "The Woman in White."

One of Collins' Best
*Man & Wife* is a wonderful mystery novel, except that instead of the whodunit format, the time frame is reversed and the crime is unfolding as we read.With exciting prose and plotting, Collins produces in the second quarter of the book a pursuit sequence almost as riveting as *Dracula's* 1897 mountain chase.The misdeed is largely psychological and societal: a woman promised but not given marriage becomes pregnant, and she has to be very resourceful in identifying a way to keep her baby legitimate as she hides her condition under the bustles of Victorian dress codes.So far, shades of Hardy's *Two On A Tower,* except this is not a romance.Rather, it is an excoriation of Victorian male-female privilege disparities using bizarre, and actual, Scottish marriage laws of the time.

It was written after Collins' blockbuster 1860s novels.As a result, it has the more finely nuanced understanding of human nature that he honed until his very finest novel (*The Evil Genius* comedy).However, it was composed in 1870, and the proximity to his very purple sensation novels like *Armadale* and *Woman In White* leave *Man & Wife* turning in the last quarter to a jep novel that is a sensation style but not as campily over-the-top as the 60s volumes.Fortunately, there is finely-observed satire and comedy to lighten the mood most of the way.It is stronger than that other hidden gem of Collins, *Hide & Seek* and more believable than *The Moonstone.*So cinematic, I'm surprised it hasn't been made into a Gosford Park-style treat.

Wilkie Collins in good form..
In general, I have not been impressed with the works of Wilkie Collins outside his "big 4" novels ('The Woman in White', 'No Name', 'Armadale', and 'The Moonstone').'Man and Wife' was written right after 'The Moonstone', the last of his really successful novels.Sadly, this novel is unjustly overlooked by Wilkie Collins fans.It's actually a fun read.

'Man and Wife' is a complicated story about a young couple, and their friends/family, caught up in the consequences of lax marriage laws during the Victorian era.At that time folks in Scotland were considered married if they simply announced it.No need for marriage licenses, blood tests, etc.Wilkie Collins's gift of building the suspense works well, and the book's ending is unexpected (and terrific).

'Man and Wife' is every bit as good as, say, 'The Moonstone'.However for Wilkie Collins neophytes I suggest first trying 'The Woman in White' or 'No Name' (..both are my favorites).

PS - I think the previous reviewer is mistaken.This book has nothing to do with intrusive mother-in-laws. ... Read more

Product Description
In Basil's secret and unconsummated marriage to the linen-draper's sexually precocious daughter, and the shocking betrayal, insanity, and death that follow, Collins reveals the bustling, commercial London of the nineteenth century wreaking its vengeance on a still powerful aristocratic world. Contemporary reviewers vehemently disapproved of this explicit treatment of adultery; and even today the passionate and lurid atmosphere he creates still has the power to disturb the reader. This book is intended for general, students and teachers of Victorian fiction, women's studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A haunting tale of love at first sight.
I have read many novels by Wilkie Collins including: The Woman in White,The Moonstone, No Name and Armadale. Most of these works involve some mystery surrounding a woman. This novel is no exception.

The novel begins years after a tragic event has changed the life of a young man named Basil. The readers learn that the doors of his home are forever closed to him. He will never see his father again. And he will never see his beloved sister, Clara, again.

Basil begins to recount the events that lead to a life changing event, which caused him to lose all that he once held dear. These events were set in motion the minute he met Margaret Sherwin.

Basil's enchantment with the dark and beautiful Margaret happened when they met by chance on an omnibus. Basil was so stricken by her beauty that he followed the beautiful stranger home and with the help of a family servant managed to coax his way into Margaret's life.

The Sherwin family were simple shop keepers. Mr Sherwin owned a linen draper's shop. When he learned that the son of a gentlemen with a family name dating back to Norman times expressed interest in his daughter, he was more than happy to encourage the union.

Basil's father, however, was extremely proud of his family lineage and expected his sons to follow and respect their family history. Margaret's beauty won over Basil's family obligations. Without the consent of his father he marries Margaret in secret.

After marrying Margaret, Basil realizes that something is not quite right in the Sherwin household. Margaret's moods change with the wind. Each and every person in the home seem to be keeping a secret.

I found the novel extraordinary! The readers are immediately aware that Basil's marriage to Margaret was his undoing, but the events unfold slowly and tragically.

I don't think I will ever hear the names Basil and Margaret and not think of his novel. It was absolutely haunting!

Basil review
I have read quite a few books by Wilkie Collins, and while this one wasn't the best, it was still great. It was written in a different style from his other books, but pulls you right into the story and keeps your interest throughout. Definitely recommended to anyone who is a fan of this genre.

Love is color blind
Basil is a naive sap that any woman wish would fall for her!He completely falls in love with a woman who is only interested in his money but of course, he is blind to that....sounds like a silly romance novel, which I loathe, BUT because it was written in the 1800's, there are descriptive characters, fabulous use of the English language.Collins makes me love mysteries and romance, neither of which type book I read ifwritten in "today's" time.Love every single book of his that I have read, six so far and counting.....

perhaps the best of Collins's earlier works..
Wilkie Collins came to fame with 'The Woman in White', followed by a succession of 'suspense' novels which are his trademark.'Basil' is an earlier yet surprisingly mature work, and it is not a suspense novel.'Basil' chronicles the life of a young, foolish man who falls in love (literally) at first sight with a young woman.He then discovers, too late, that this 'sweet young thing' is not as she first appeared.The author captures Basil's anguish perfectly.While some people might find the entire story to be a bit contrived, I found the emotional element of writing to greatly outweigh this 'love at first' kitsch.

So in conclusion, 'Basil' should have a wider appeal beyond the Wilkie Collins fan club.Folks who love mid-Victorian writing will find much to enjoy with 'Basil'.

Basil's Betrayal
After reading The Woman in White, A Rogue's Life, and attemting The Moonstone, I picked up Basil. Basil's story was more absorbing than any of the other books and my sympathies were entirely with him. I felt his betrayal and utter dejection. If only I could have been his friend! ... Read more

Product Description
Condemned by Victorian critics as immoral, but regarded today as a novel of outstanding social insight, No Name shows William Wilkie Collins at the height of his literary powers. It is the story of two sisters, Magdalen and Norah, who discover after the deaths of their dearly beloved parents that their parents were not married at the time of their births. Disinherited and ousted from their estate, they must fend for themselves and either resign themselves to their fate or determine to recover their wealth by whatever means. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

"Mr Vanstone's daughters are Nobody's Children ... and the law leaves them helpless at their uncle's mercy!"
When Mr and Mrs Vanstone are killed in an accident, an understandable oversight and the misogynistic vagaries of Victorian law have left their daughters, Magdalen and Norah, orphaned and penniless. The Vanstone estate passes in its entirety to their embittered uncle who refuses to recognize the justice of their claim against his brother's wealth. A sanguine, disappointed and much more conventional Norah resigns herself to her fate and takes up a position as governess to support herself. But a furious and defiant Magdalen refuses to accept the loss of what she knows is rightfully hers and her sisters. With the help of an unscrupulous con artist, Captain Horatio Wragge, Magdalen embarks on a labyrinthine Machiavellian scheme to steal back her birthright.

In his own preface to NO NAME, Wilkie Collins acknowledged that while he wanted to use the success he had achieved with his first ground-breaking "sensation novel", THE WOMAN IN WHITE, he also wanted to push his story-telling into new divergent directions. Far from being a purely gothic or atmospheric mystery, NO NAME is astonishingly realistic and down to earth. Norah's and Magdalen's illegitimacy in law and their loss of social status and inheritance rights are all entirely believable. Beginning a theme which he returned to later in MAN AND WIFE, Collins used his writing as a platform to examine the legal, moral and social issues of Victorian law as it related to marriage and the status of women. And he certainly didn't hesitate to use that platform to express his deep dismay over the inequities that he perceived in those laws.

Interestingly, while Magdalen's quest to recover her fortune by any means available was quite understandable and, even to the most establishment bound Victorian reader, somewhat justifiable, she is not a particularly likable heroine. The dubious choices she made were certainly a substantial part of what made NO NAME such a scandalous book in its time and, equally certainly, are part of what makes NO NAME an enduring classic that allows readers to judge for themselves the virtues of what she does in the name of justice.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

No Name
The book was in excellent shape but the size is too big.It's difficult to read because of the size.Why would anyone print a book 8"x10".

A virtually unknown masterpiece, and a new favourite for a picky reader
4.5/5 stars

After the untimely death of their parents, the Vanstone sisters, Norah and Magdalen, face the stark reality of social stigma in Victorian England. Orphaned and penniless, they learn the devastating truth - they are illegitimate (children with "no name", hence the title of the book). And due to an anomaly in their father's will, the entirety of his wealth and estate is legally entailed away to their heartless uncle, who has no regard for their futures.

Vastly different in temperament, the elder sister, Norah calmly accepts her change in circumstance, resigned to accept work as a governess, while independent and scheming Magdalen refuses to accept the fate that their uncle has bestowed upon them and sets out on her own, vowing revenge.

To carry out her complex strategy of retribution, Magdalen enlists the assistance of the wily Captain Wragge, a distant relation and a self-confessed defrauder, who proves to be a comic relief with a tender humane heart at the core. Readers will be delighted to discover Wragge is just as memorable as many of Dickens' likable miscreants (not unlike Little Dorrit's Mr. Pancks).

Wragge and Magdalen face an uphill battle of wits, trying to outsmart the ruthlessly sharp Mrs. Lecount, the controlling and manipulative housekeeper of the will's beneficiary, Noel Vanstone. While Norah dutifully carries on with her life without incident, the intrepid Magdalen continues on with her quest for justice - at any expense - culminating in a surprise ending.

Perfectly plotted, though admittedly a tad bit slow at the outset, 'No Name' is a treat for any classics lover and is well worth the time invested in its 700+ pages. Highly recommended!

"No Name" is an exciting sensational novel of the 1860s featuring a spirited and bold heroine who will keep your interest
William Wilkie Collins (1824-89) was one of the early authors of whodunit and sensational fiction in the Victorian world. His most famous books are "The Moonstone"; "The Woman in White"; "Armadale" and "No Name."
No Name was first published in 1862 to wide sales. The book is much lesser read today but is still worth reading in all its 741 page glory!
The story is complicated. Two sisters Norah and Magadalene Vanstone learn to their dismay that their parents were not married when they were born. The mother dies in a middle age childbirth while their kind find is killed in a railroad accident. They are disbarred from inheriting the estate of their rich grandfather with the money being given to the foolish, vain and cruel Noel Vanstone their cousin and the son of the deceased Michael Vanstone (who is their father's brother).
Norah becomes a governess but Magdalene is much more feisty! She (under the management of swindler Captain Wragge)performs dramatic readings throughout England and she disguises herself to spy on Noel Vanstone. Suprisingly she marries Noel but hates him.
Minor characters are a fun part of the story from the idiotic Mrs. Wragge to an old sailor to the sly servant of Noel Vanstone the creepy Mrs. Laconte. Norah and Magdalene fall in love with good and decent men whose names are George Bartram and Captain Kirke
To tell the rest of the story would spoil it for new readers! Just let it be said that the book has a good deal of humor, interesting characters and is a page turner. It is also written in a style easy to read which provides many cliff hangers and shocking surprises along the way. The book, as so many of the Victorian novels, was initially published in monthly parts to whet the public's appetite to read further about the doings of Magdalene and her friends and foes. Well recommended1

Classic Wilkie Collins
I'm only half-way through right now, but this is definitely classic Wilie Collins. I love Collins' style of writing; the way he uses words, and phrases, and builds suspense is top notch. Collins always has a strong female heroine, and he doesn't disappoint with No Name. I am definitely furiously turning pages....! ... Read more

Product Description
The Woman in White (1859-60) is the first and greatest "Sensation Novel."Walter Hartright's mysterious midnight encounter with the woman in white draws him into a vortex of crime, poison, kidnapping, and international intrigue.This new critical edition is the first to use the original manuscript of the novel.John Sutherland examines Collins's contribution to Victorian fiction, traces his practices as a creator of plot, and provides a chronology of the novel's complicated events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (133)

Brilliant!
Collins spins a web of intrigue among the fascinating characters he creates and develops so intricately that they spring to life. He sets them in fascinating places, and with his imagination and blazing talent, he paints the setting perfectly. He has created an immensely compelling work, and it delivers at every setting.

This was written in installments, and one can but wonder how eagerly the next segment must have been anticipated back in the time of Dickens, his good friend. Thankfully, the installments are all gathered together and presented as one.

The wonderful thing about a book of this length is that, if done well (and IT IS!!), the characters are intricately detailed, and can be known in depth. And what characters!! Mr. Hartright, Miss Fairlie, Miss Halcombe, Anne Catherick, and the uncle Fairlie still linger, as if old friends and acquaintances. Even the minor characters, such as the lumpish maid at Blackwater, is so perfectly detailed and used that she made a lasting impression. Sir Percy and his entourage will linger in memory, as well.

This work made Collins very famous, and it has put him on my wall of favorites. Way up at the top!

Who was telling the Truth?
Wilkie Collins created a fantastic novel which could be read in the manner that most of the reviewers have interpreted this book.Boy meets a mystery woman, falls in love with a look-alike who is forced to marry an evil man and eventually the woman in white reveals some secrets and conveniently dies.The early lovers reunite with the help throughout the book of the sensible sister. What really happened?This book was not written by one narrator, but many narrators with conflicting agendas. What if we assume that all are slanting their narratives to mislead the reader?Who is telling the truth?
When you ask these questions and dig into the motivations and backgrounds of each of the narrators and characters, a very different story may emerge limited only by the imagination of the reader, but guided by Wilkie Collins.Were the accidental deaths accidental?Remember who was the narrator describing the accidental deaths.Were the good guys serial murderers, so they could inherit all the wealth in the end? What was the real relationship of the three heroes?These questions haunted me while reading the book and re-reading the book. I challenge anyone to re-read The Woman in white and question the motive and the story of each narrator as if you were attending an inquest or a trial.Did the narrators cleverly hide the truth from the reader?

I have never read such an intriguing novel

Good writing, good story, good characters, but a bit long on delivery
This is an example of quality Victorian fiction, with romance, intrigue, deception, rogues, subterfuge, sprawling estates and more.Unfortunately, it also has a nice guy (Walter, a drawing teacher/artist) falling for a supermeek yet seemingly attractive woman (Laura) who can't tell some blackguard of a suitor (Sir Percival Glyde) to shove off because she doesn't love him (so goes the Victorian era, I suppose).That aside, Wilkie Collins has crafted a compelling yarn that revolves around these three individuals, not to mention the skullduggerous Count Fosco.While the book is rather long, it's never dull.You'll want to keep reading to find out what Sir Percival's "secret" is as well as how Walter will set everything straight in the end.Good stuff.

Note: if you're accustomed to reading and enjoying 21st-century "mysteries" by the likes of Robert Parker and James Patterson, you'll probably struggle with this due to Collins' quality English and the lack of extensive dialogue. If you just read "Northanger Abbey," however, "The Woman in White" shouldn't require any shifting of your reading gears.

SPOILER: I was rather hoping for some sort of physical struggle between Walter and his two enemies by the last third of the novel, but alas, that never came.The story, though, was satisfactorily concluded, mind you.

Two women, one twisted fate




Wilkie Collins, friend and confidante of Charles Dickens, wrote thrillers, many originally published in Dickens' magazines that gave Victorian readers a generous helping of delicious chills and thrills.

The Woman In White was his most successful novel of suspense.So popular was it that it generated a whole Woman in White industry that included Woman In White clothing, Woman in White perfume, and even a Woman in White waltz.

This is a classic story of mistaken identity as two women of remarkably similar looks but extremely dissimilar circumstances find their lives inextricably drawn together.Laura Fairlie is beautiful and wealthy and has led a calm and sheltered life. Anne Catherick, Laura's pale look-alike has known only poverty and neglect and suffers from mental illness.Both women find their lives drawn into the dangerous net spread by Sir Percival Glyde who seeks to marry Laura while pursuing Anne in order to suppress a guilty secret which he believes Anne will use to destroy him.

Enter artist and teacher Walter Hartright who falls in love with Laura and is also drawn into the mystery of her close resemblance to the unfortunate Anne Catherick.Told through multiple points of view, where each character tells some part of the story, The Woman in White keeps the reader constantly off balance as person after person reveals what they know or suspect or fear about the mystery surrounding Anne, Sir Percival, and Laura.

Filled with memorable characters, including the irrepressible Marian Halcombe and the infamous Count Fosco, darkened with mystery, and peppered with wonderfully comic scenes, this story justly earned its reputation as one the Victorian era's most loved novels.

A Favorite
I discovered author Wilkie Collins this year while browsing on Amazon. I ordered The Woman In White and immediately became a Collins fan. This 1860 novel has it all--mystery, drama, suspense, strong characters, and romance. What more could a reader want? I highly recommend it to those who are looking for a classic literary masterpiece that has stood the test of time.


... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1874Original Publisher: R. Bentley ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The fifth set in this important and well-regarded facsimile series considers the reputations and biographical portrayal of three innovative and controversial writers: Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Wilkie Collins and William Thackeray. All three had complex private lives which scandalized contemporary society. These anthologies of contemporary biographical material shed light on the processes at work in the establishment of a public image and a critical reputation. In particular, with this selection of writers, they reveal a process of disguise - the masks and evasions that instinctively rebellious novelists employed to preserve their respectability. The set will be invaluable to scholars of the Victorian era, biography, and literature in general. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
From a collaboration of efforts by Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins comes the novel and play, No Thoroughfare.The story contains crafted descriptions, well-drawn and diverse characters, eerie and exotic backgrounds, mystery, semi-concealed identities, brinkmanship with death, romance, the eventual triumph of Good over Evil, and many other elements expected in classic Dickens.Two boys from the Foundling Hospital are given the same name (Walter Wilding), with disastrous consequences in adulthood. After the death of one - now a proprietor of a wine merchant's company - the executors, to right the wrong, are commissioned to find a missing heir. Their quest takes them from fungous wine cellars in the City of London to the sunshine of the Mediterranean-across the Alps in winter. Danger and treachery would prevail were it not for the courage of the heroine, Marguerite, and a faithful company servant.With unexpected twists and turns, this is a wonderful read! ... Read more

Product Description
"Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. "Penguin Readers" are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from "Easystarts" with a 200-word vocabulary, to Level 6 (Advanced) with a 3000-word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub-categories: "Contemporary", "Classics" or "Originals". At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack.Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying "Penguin Readers Factsheets" which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

SAVING IT
I BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR MY 6TH GRADE ESL CLASS.THE BOOK IS GREAT BUT TOO ADVANCED FOR THEM SO I WILL SAVE IT TIL LATER ON. ... Read more