Wilkie Collins: The Ordeal of the Woman in White

Does reading a novel ever become an ordeal? Do you sometimes find yourself plugging through a book just to get through it? That proved my experience with The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins. This novel is the fifth written by Charles Dickens' friend and contemporary author, and considered the best written by Collins. It is said to be one of the first Mystery novels ever written, or at least a precursor to the later Mystery literary genre. The novel impressed fans and authors, including a young Agatha Christie. Yet I found the pace glacial, and the story largely uninteresting. How could this be?

Perhaps a little comparison is in order. Earlier this year, I read The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. It was my first experience with Dickens (at least as an adult, and as best as I can remember). Dickens peppered his story with lots of characters, who each had interesting stories to tell. Many of the characters were quirky and amusing, and perhaps a little far fetched. I suppose the story was rather satirical. Yet the one thing that sticks in my mind was how much sheer story there was. Like The Woman in White, The Pickwick Papers was serialized in a magazine/newspaper. There was mini-adventure after misadventure. It was a lot of fun, and told me a lot about England during that era.

By contrast, Collins' novel was more focused, and the story simpler. When one character left the stage, the next person involved continued the linear narrative. There were complications, and a few interesting characters, but only one plot thread. So if you got bored with that story, there was nothing else to look forward to but more of the same. 

Most of Collins' characters left me flat. There were only three well developed characters, in my opinion. The rest seemed more like charicatures. Now that's fine in a humorous novel, but not so good in a serious narrative. The whole point about The Woman in White was that it was breaking new ground for its time. It was a Sensation novel, a fusion of the Romance and Gothic literary genres. It clearly spoke to contemporary readers and authors, even if many reviewers hated it. Even today, it is ranked as one of the most important English language novels ever written. Yet I slogged through it, and feel robbed of the enjoyment that others have derived from the reading experience.

Don't you hate it when you miss the party?

Dragon Dave

Knitting During the French Revolution

My niece once told me she was reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  To her, it seemed more like an endless succession of episodes than a novel with a three-part dramatic structure.  I vaguely remember picking up the book in elementary school library, but being talked out of reading it until I was older.  Strangely though, I can’t remember being taught anything about the French Revolution in history classes (even at university), except that it was “complicated.”

A couple years ago, I read Drood, a novel in which Dan Simmons portrays Charles Dickens from contemporary author Wilkie Collin’s point-of-view.  I’ve wanted to read both Collins and Dickens since reading Dan Simmons’ novel, so perhaps I should begin with A Tale of Two Cities.  My concern is that it’s a long novel, so I’ll have to set aside all the other books I want to read.  Plus, there’s the added problem that once Dickens brings this period of history to life for me, I’ll want to study the subject further, and I already have so many nonfiction topics I want to research.  (Of course, in order to play fair, I’ll then have to read a Wilkie Collins novel as well).  Still, nothing illuminates history quite like well-written Fiction, and A Tale of Two Cities ranks among the most famous works of literature.  

While I debate about reading the novel, I’ve recently found another valuable source of information on the French Revolution.  “The Reign of Terror” was a six-part serial written by Dennis Spooner, and was filmed during the first year of Doctor Who.  When the TARDIS arrives in France in 1794, the Doctor’s companions are thrown in jail, and he must impersonate a regional administrator in the hopes of rescuing them before they are taken to the guillotine.  When watching the episodes with the “Information Text” option, I gained a nice overview of this important period of history, as well as a few interesting facts.  One was that a group of women, known as Tricoteuses, would sit by the guillotine and knit during public executions.

I can understand a lot of the reasons why the French Revolution occurred.  I get how ideologies might drive people to commit terrible acts in the name of the common good, such as during the Reign of Terror, when tens of thousands of people were condemned to death.  What I can’t understand is how a group of women could plunk themselves down beside a guillotine, watch as people are led up to it, and knit while the blade descends and a person’s head drops into a basket.  I mean, wouldn’t their knitted hats and gloves get stained?  Who would wear a sweater splattered with blood?

My wife’s tells me she finds knitting a calming and restful hobby…and then she knits Daleks.  Part of me argues that I’d better confiscate her knitting needles while I still can.  The other part argues that the Women’s March on Versailles served as an important precursor to the French Revolution.  So what should I do?  Should I confiscate her knitting needles?  Or would doing so incite the violence and rebellion I wish to avert?

You know, maybe I really do need to read A Tale of Two Cities.  

Dragon Dave