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"Hailed as a classic the moment it was written in 1859, The Woman in White
uses a dozen different narrators to tell the tale of a man's determination to save the woman he loves in the face of the worst intentions of the sly Sir Percival Glyde and the magnificent Count Fosco." (From the CD container)One of the earliest examples of the Victorian Sensation Novel, The Woman In White was a long book but well worth the time. It took its sweet time laying down the back-story, but once the mystery started to kick in, I was hooked.
I really liked the many changes in narrative view point. Just when I started to get bored or agitated with one, it switched! Each character and perspective is unique, refreshing and adds a different spin on the unfolding tale. You're never quite sure which testimonies are trustworthy until the end. I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrators were fabulous! I especially liked the portrayal of Laura Fairley's elitist hypochondriac of an uncle, Frederick Fairlie, with his frail and eternally suffering voice.
And here are the questions we modern women nearly always find ourselves ruminating over: What is it that these leading men see in their beautiful, empty-headed, helpless leading ladies? And why is the brilliant companion always an ugly spinster? I know, I know. Put myself in their time and I'll see the answer. Maybe. :-) I think I'd rather be the ugly but brilliant spinster, since being beautiful kept getting these poor women married off to the likes of Sir Percival Glyde.
