Criricism of Wilkie Collins’ Woman in White

Criricism of Wilkie Collins’ Woman in White

“To Mr. Collins belongs the credit of having introduced into fiction those most mysterious of mysteries, the mysteries which are at our own doors.” So said Henry James in an unsigned review of another author’s work. But his view was certainly not shared by all those who cast their opinions into the fray. An unsigned review in the Saturday Review said of Collins’ work, “Estimated by the standard of great novels, the Woman in White is nowhere. Somewhere between these two points are friends and correspondents of Mr. Wilkie Collins. Novelist George Meredith wrote to Collins himself saying, “The tension of the W[oman] in W[hite] is not exactly pleasant, though cleverly produced. One wearies of it...” Charles Dickens was reserved in his opinion. He observed that, “There cannot be a doubt that it is a very great advance on all your former writing...” and also, “I seem to have noticed, here and there, that the great pains you take express themselves a trifle too much, and you know that I always contest your disposition to give an audience credit for nothing, which necessarily involves the forcing of points on their attention...” Considering all the material Wilkie Collins was either to be praised for inventing a new style, looked at in scorn for his lack of character development, or deemed the author of a work that “is an inferior metal altogether, though good and valuable of its kind,” as the Saturday Review critic stated.

Many critics complain that Collins’ characters are caricatures, not characters. The anonymous reviewer remarked that “They have characteristics, but not character,” in analyzing Wilkie’s creation. He goes on to say, “They might all be summed up in as many sente...

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...ring-lugger I am building named ‘Marian Halcombe‘, the brave Girl in the Story.” Dr. Griffin mentioned that naming boats after Marian was a popular trend after the publication. This was the only mention of the trend but FitzGerald’s letters were the only personal documents not directed to Collins himself.

Wonderful or awful, or possibly just fair, Collins’ novel attracted a lot of attention and many different reactions. As for this student, I am inclined to agree with Mr. FitzGerald and his comments to W. F. Pollock. “[Jane Austen] is capital as far as she goes: but she never goes out of the Parlour; if but Magnus Troil or Jack Bruce [characters in Sir Walter Scott’s The Pirate], or even one of Fielding’s Brutes, would but dash in upon the Gentility, and swear a round Oath or two! I must think the Woman in White, with her Count Fosco, far beyond all that.”