There Will Be A $5.00 Charge For Whining: Book Challenge: The Woman in White

This year I've jumped into something new. You might know that I LOVE to read.

In fact, reading is my superpower.

I decided to join the Reading Challenge over at Modern Mrs. Darcy. Not because I am struggling to find time or motivation to read.

Gurrlll....As I said...Reading is my superpower. And the library my happy place.

I through this challenge would be fun. And it would help me search out new and exciting books and authors.

The challenge for this week?

A classic you've been meaning to read.

Now this was more challenging than I anticipated.

Ya'll. I've read a whole lot of classic literature. My favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre. And then there is this. I really don't like books that don't end well. I like happy endings.

All that heavy, depressing literature we read in High School?

I'm not into it.

Of Mice and Men. Nope.

Grapes of Wrath. Nope.

Animal Farm. Nope and Nope.

Frankly, there are many works of classic literature that are downright SAD.

Give me rainbows and sunshine. Unicorns and glitter.

And if I can't have rainbows and glitter, I do love a good spooky, gothic mystery.

Years ago, I watched a satisfyingly spooky Masterpiece Theater production called The Woman in White. Admittedly there wasn't a rainbow or unicorn to be found in this terrific production. But it sure met my other criteria.

I enjoyed this program immensely, but never sought out the book it was based on.

Written by Wilkie Collins in 1859, The Woman in White is considered one the first mystery novels.

We begin our story with a Mr. Walter Hartright letting us know that he is about to tell us a story. This isn't any old story. He's gathered personal testimony from all those involved so you (the reader) won't doubt the whole truth of it.

Mr. Hartright is a drawing master. He has inherited his business and talent from his late father. His newest assignment sends him to Limmeridge house. On the way there he meets a mysterious (if not a little "tetched") woman in white.

dum. dum. dum.

We don't understand the significance of this meeting until later, but once he gets to Limmeridge house he undertakes the artistic education of two sisters, Laura and Marian. The ladies are half sisters who share the same mother. Both are orphans and are under the care of Laura's truly odious (and hypochondriac) uncle.

You know that Mr. Hartright has to fall in love with one of the girls and he (of course) chooses the gentle and beautiful, Laura. Now even when I saw Masterpiece Theater production I was irked about this (just a little).

Laura is really delightful, but Marian is most definitely Mr. Hartright's soulmate. They get along famously and there is none of that awkwardness, etc. But...Marian is plainer and she also happens to be poor. Laura is an heiress to her father's fortune.

She also is engaged to a certain Sir Percival Glyde.

dum. dum. dum.

Keep in mind that all of this happens towards the beginning of the book. Laura doesn't ride off into the sunset with her drawing master. She bows to her late father's wishes and marries Sir Percival...even after he makes a big stink about having full control of her fortune.

Mr. Hartright decides to drown his sorrows in some foreign jungle. And we learn a little bit more about the mysterious Woman in White.

I won't go much farther in my summary of the story...I don't want to give away any of the good bits to those of who you might want to read it..BUT, there is a delicious villain by the name of Count Fosco.

This is a villian to surpass all villians. He is so engaging that you almost hate to hate him!

The Masterpiece Theater production took some liberties and changed the story a bit. They made it just a bit darker. I think perhaps that those things which Victorian England might have found shocking won't seem to dark to us, so those who adapted it to film wanted to increase the "wow" factor.

There are a few twists and turns in this novel that are completely unexpected. There were also events that happened that made me feel completely helpless. Women were helpless in this society for the most part. A woman's well being and fortune often depended on the whims of a man.

I do suggest that you watch the movie after reading the book. It can currently be found on youtube.