New Releases by Wilkie Collins

In an early example of detective fiction, this gothic mystery novel is a thrilling tale of mistaken identities, forbidden love, and a woman shrouded in mystery. Walter Hartright is a young drawing master who finds himself unwittingly entangled in a web of intrigue when he encounters a mysterious woman dressed entirely in white. Little does he know that this chance meeting will set off a chain of events leading him into a labyrinth of secrets. As Walter delves deeper into the enigma surrounding the woman in white, he becomes embroiled in a complex plot involving family secrets, hidden identities, and manipulative schemes. First published in 1859, The Woman in White showcases Wilkie Collins' masterful grasp of the gothic genre with his ability to craft suspenseful and atmospheric scenes.

Wilkie Collins's "The Frozen Deep" is a captivating novella that intertwines themes of love, sacrifice, and the indomitable human spirit against the backdrop of the Arctic's unforgiving expanse. Written in 1856, this work showcases Collins's trademark style, utilizing vivid imagery and emotive language to evoke a sense of both adventure and melancholy. The narrative unfolds through a rich tapestry of characters, each grappling with their personal desires and dilemmas as they face the existential perils of their icy surroundings, reflecting contemporary Victorian concerns about exploration, imperialism, and the fragility of human relationships. Wilkie Collins, often heralded as a pioneer of detective fiction and the sensation novel, was deeply influenced by his fascination with melodrama and psychological complexity. His collaboration with Charles Dickens and involvement in the London theater scene informed his ability to craft compelling narratives that not only entertain but also provoke critical thought. "The Frozen Deep," originally presented as a play, reveals Collins's desire to explore the darker aspects of the human psyche and illustrates the moral challenges posed by extreme circumstances. Readers seeking a gripping exploration of human emotion set against an Arctic frontier will find "The Frozen Deep" an essential addition to their literary collection. Collins's nuanced characters and evocative prose provide profound insights into companionship and resilience, making this an enduring work that resonates with the complexities of human experience.

William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 - 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known for The Woman in White (1859) and The Moonstone (1868). The last has been called the first modern English detective novel. Born to a London painter, William Collins, and his wife, the family moved to Italy when Collins was twelve, living there and in France for two years, so that he learned Italian and French. He worked at first as a tea merchant. On publishing his first novel, Antonina, in 1850, Collins met Charles Dickens, who became a friend and mentor. Some Collins works appeared first in Dickens's journals Household Words and All the Year Round. The two also collaborated on drama and fiction.

The Queen of Hearts Wilkie Collins - The Queen of Hearts Collins' collection of 10 short stories with one connecting narrative: The Queen of Hearts', the school nickname of Jessie who is staying with her guardian. Griffith, a lawyer, lives with his two brothers, a clergyman and a doctor, in an isolated house in South Wales. Not all is as it seems, however, and love is in the air just to complicate matters.

The Woman in White is an epistolary novel written by Wilkie Collins in 1859, serialized in 1859-1860, and first published in book form in 1860. It is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of 'sensation novels'. As was customary at that time, The Woman in White was first published as a magazine serial. The first episode appeared on 29 November 1859, following Charles Dickens's own A Tale of Two Cities in Dickens's magazine All the Year Round in England, and Harper's Magazine in America. It caused an immediate sensation. Julian Symons (in his 1974 introduction to the Penguin edition) reports that "queues formed outside the offices to buy the next instalment. Bonnets, perfumes, waltzes and quadrilles were called by the book's title. Gladstone cancelled a theatre engagement to go on reading it. And Prince Albert sent a copy to Baron Stockmar." So don't wait! Scroll up and buy now.

"The Queen of Hearts is a fictional character from the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as ""a blind fury"", and who is quick to give death sentences at the slightest offense. One of her most famous lines is the oft-repeated ""Off with his/her head!"" / ""Off with their heads!""The Queen is referred to as a card from a pack of playing cards by Alice, yet somehow she is able to talk and is the ruler of the lands in the story, alongside her husband, the King of Hearts. She is often confused with the Red Queen from the 1871 sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, although the two are very different."

William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 - 23 September 1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories. He was hugely popular in his time, and wrote 27 novels, more than 50 short stories, at least 15 plays, and over 100 pieces of non-fiction work. His best-known works are The Woman in White, The Moonstone, Armadale and No Name.

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In 'The Woman in White, ' Wilkie Collins masterfully weaves a tale of mystery and suspense, presenting a gripping narrative that explores themes of identity, madness, and the constraints of Victorian society. This illustrated edition enhances the text with visual elements that further immerse the reader in the novel's intricate plot and atmospheric settings. Collins employs a unique epistolary structure, using multiple perspectives to build tension and develop a rich tapestry of characters, including the enigmatic figure of the woman in white, who defies societal expectations and embodies the struggle for autonomy against oppressive forces. Wilkie Collins, a contemporary and commentator of Charles Dickens, was a pioneer of the sensation novel, a genre that captivated Victorian readers with its focus on crime, psychological depth, and scandalous intrigue. His personal experiences, including his advocacy for women's rights and his intimate knowledge of legal affairs, profoundly informed the book's exploration of the plight of women in a patriarchal society. Collins' rich background in literature and law allowed him to craft complex characters and intricate plots that resonate deeply with contemporary readers. I recommend 'The Woman in White' not only for its exhilarating plot and vivid illustrations but also for its sharp critique of societal norms and its profound psychological insight. It remains a timeless masterpiece that invites readers to contemplate the darker sides of human nature and the societal roles imposed on women, making it an essential addition to the canon of English literature.

The moonstone in the title refers to a brilliant but flawed gem seized by a British officer in India. He brought it back to England as a family heirloom - with a supposed curse placed upon it. The officer bequeathed the stone to his niece, Rachel Verinder, for her to inherit when she turns 18. The night of her 18th birthday, the Moonstone goes missing. Everyone connected with Rachel at her family estate in Yorkshire is under suspicion. It is up to the London detective, Sergeant Cuff, to solve the crime.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

First published serially in 1868, Wilkie Collins's "The Moonstone" is generally considered as the first full length detective novel in the English language. The novel concerns a large valuable diamond plundered from India by Colonel Herncastle during the Siege of Seringapatam. Herncastle, who has been shunned by his own family, decides to bequeath the diamond to his niece Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday. At her birthday party, Rachel wears the Moonstone for all to see, later that night the diamond goes missing from her room and quickly an investigation ensues to discover the identity of the thief and recover the jewel. Suspicion quickly falls upon three Indian jugglers at the party who are actually disguised Hindu priests who have dedicated their lives to recovering the diamond which has great religious significance. Despite the efforts of Sergeant Cuff, a renowned detective, the night ends with the mystery unsolved. Described by G. K. Chesterton as "probably the best detective tale in the world", "The Moonstone" is one of Wilkie Collins's most popular works which influenced the development an entirely new genre of fiction. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The Woman in White is an epistolary novel written by Wilkie Collins in 1859, serialized in 1859-1860, and first published in book form in 1860. It is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of 'sensation novels'.As was customary at that time, The Woman in White was first published as a magazine serial. The first episode appeared on 29 November 1859, following Charles Dickens's own A Tale of Two Cities in Dickens's magazine All the Year Round in England, and Harper's Magazine in America. It caused an immediate sensation. Julian Symons (in his 1974 introduction to the Penguin edition) reports that "queues formed outside the offices to buy the next instalment. Bonnets, perfumes, waltzes and quadrilles were called by the book's title. Gladstone cancelled a theatre engagement to go on reading it. And Prince Albert sent a copy to Baron Stockmar."

The Two Destinies was published in 1876 and dedicated to Charles Reade. Collins explores the themes of 'destined spirits' and supernatural visions. He acknowledges taking the second idea from a case reported in Robert Dale Owen's Footfalls on the Boundary of another World. This describes how a ship's captain is convinced to change course after seeing an apparition and saves the passengers of a wrecked ship, including the person in the vision.

Valeria Woodville's first act as a married woman is to sign her name in the marriage register incorrectly, and this slip is followed by the gradual disclosure of a series of secrets about her husband's earlier life, each of which leads on to another set of questions and enigmas. Her discoveries prompt her to defy her husband's authority, to take the law into into a labyrinthine maze of false clues and deceptive identities, in which the exploration of the tangled workings of the mind becomes linked to an investigation into the masquerades of femininity. Probably the first full-length novel with a woman detective as its heroine, The Law and the Lady is a fascinating example of Collins's later fiction. First published in 1875,

Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White. First serialized and then published as a book in 1860, Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White represents a seminal classic of English fiction. It is classified by some critics among mystery novels and by some others as a Gothic novel. The narrative's structure is epistolary. It tells the story of a poor young art teacher named Walter Hartright who happens to see a strange apparition one evening as he is strolling through the streets of London. It is the unearthly figure of a woman dressed all in white and who seems to suffer from mental troubles. Later in the novel, while teaching at Limmeridge House, Walter discovers that his most beloved student named Laura has a striking resemblance to the mad woman that he has encountered. Despite the mutual love between the teacher and his student, the latter has to marry a noble man named Sir Percival Glyde to satisfy her father's wishes. The readers then learn that the woman in white is Laura's half sister who was confined to a mental asylum and who eventually dies of a heart condition. Glyde does not really like Laura and wishes to steal her money. He conspires to send her to the mental asylum to replace her identical sister. Helped by her other sister Marian, Laura manages to flee the asylum and finally marry Walter after the accidental death of her wicked husband.

Blind Love is Wilkie Collins’s final novel. Although he did not live to complete the work, he left detailed plans for the last third of this absorbingly plotted novel which were faithfully executed by his colleague, the popular author Walter Besant. The novel is set during the Irish Land War of the early 1880s and tells the story of Iris Henley, an independent young woman who marries the “wild” Lord Harry Norland, a member of an Irish secret society, and becomes unhappily drawn into a conspiracy plot. The Broadview edition of Blind Love includes a critical introduction and primary source materials that address the novel’s focus on movements for Irish independence. Appendices include newspaper accounts of Ireland during the Land War and of the fraud case on which Collins based his story, articles reacting to Collins’s sudden death, Punch cartoons depicting the English attitudes toward the Irish, and contemporary reviews.

Despite the grave misgivings of both their families, Valeria Brinton and Eustace Woodville are married. But before long the new bride begins to suspect a dark secret in her husband's past and when she discovers that he has been living under a false name, she determines to find out why he is concealing his true identity from her. Soon she must endure an even greater shock: the revelation that her husband has been on trial for poisoning his first wife. Convinced of his innocence, Valeria is prepared to do anything to clear her husband's name, and in so doing upturns the conventions of polite nineteenth century society. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.