Woman in white

....No! This isn't about Teesri Manzil. I am talking about the novel of the same name by William Wilkie Collins.

But lets begin with a foreword, shall we? I haven't read much in about 3 months. Its been one of those dry patches where I have been unable to sufficiently entertain myself with some good reading material. What with the holiday season and a short trip in the works and a long trip around the corner- a good friend of mine casually mentioned this book. Now its interesting she suggested this book, because it so happens that 'The Moonstone' by the same author happens to be my very first "adult" novel. I found this in our family "library" and plunged right into the worn out copy like a fish takes to water. I loved it, I was terribly impressed with the aura of suspense and mystery that was woven into the tale. Coincidentally wiki tells me that the Moonstone is considered to be the first detective novel in English language, hm!

So that's how I happened to pick up a copy of the Woman in white from my library and over the Thanksgiving weekend, I managed to finish it.

'Woman in white' is about an art teacher that is hired to tutor a young and budding heiress, Laura. She also has a half-sister who is somewhat of her guardian angel. In this beautiful Victorian setting, the author describes the budding romance between the art teacher and the heiress, which eventually is detected and dispelled by her half-sister Marian who informs the art teacher that Laura is engaged to be married soon. Dejected, he leaves the estate on a flimsy pretext. Laura's fiance and eventually her husband comes along with a baggage of mystery and intrigue forms the bulk of the story. Do the art teacher and Laura meet again? What kind of a man was
Laura's husband? Who is the 'woman in white'?

This amazing tale weaves through complex characterizations, plots and machinations of the human kind, the follies and failings of those around us and a mystery that forms the cherry atop the proverbial icing.

Quintessential Wilkie Collins, cant expect any less from this superb storyteller.

I needed this, to resync with my lost reading bug.