Wilkie Collins, página 4 de 33

The Moonstone, a yellow diamond looted from an Indian temple and believed to bring bad luck to its owner, is bequeathed to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday. That very night the priceless stone is stolen again and when Sergeant Cuff is brought in to investigate the crime, he soon realizes that no one in Rachels household is above suspicion. Hailed by T. S. Eliot as the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels, "The Moonstone" is a marvellously taut and intricate tale of mystery, in which facts and memory can prove treacherous and not everyone is as they first appear.

Lord Montbarry rompe su compromiso con Agnes Lockwood y contrae matrimonio con la condesa Narona. Tras su luna de miel se instalan en un vetusto palacio veneciano junto al asistente de él. Allí se une a ellos el hermano de la condesa, el barón Rivar. Lord Montbarry fallece y Agnes recibe la noticia a través del hermano de este, Henry Westwick. La condesa y su hermano se van a América, el asistente desaparece, y su esposa, que vive en Londres, recibe mil libras de un anónimo. El palacio se rehabilita y se convierte en un hotel, y es aquí donde años más tarde se reúne la familia del fallecido. Tres de los miembros sufren un extraño malestar general con insomnio, falta de apetito, olores nauseabundos… Al mismo tiempo, la condesa Narona viaja a Venecia guiada por el destino. Allí, entre todos

“Por puro genio, Collins no tenía rival. Si no has leído esta novela, te puedo prometer una de las historias más apasionantes de todos los tiempos."PHILIP PULLMAN“Thackeray se sentó toda una noche pa

A giant diamond stolen from India; a rakish rogue; a naive teenager and a drug-fueled scandal.These are the leading parts that combine to make one of the greatest detective novels of all time.The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins laid many of the foundations for the detective genre.At heart, though, it is a great story.Rachel Verinder inherits a large Indian diamond on her 18th birthday. It turns out to have been stolen from India by her corrupt uncle and is of immense religious significance.When the diamond goes missing at Rachels birthday party, it sparks a mystery that involves Indian jugglers, Hindu priests, an unlikely love story, betrayal, intrigue - and twists and turns to the final page.Collins was a close friend of Charles Dickens, who serialised The Moonstone in his magazine All the Year Round.In 2016 it was made into a five-part BBC TV series, starring John Thomson. It is an example of an epistolary novel: one written as a series of documents, including letters and diary entries. Other famous examples include Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and Bram Stokers Dracula.

Dr Phil didnt invent family drama. This Victorian novel might as well be given the Dr Phil caption of "I found out my parents werent married, and my cousin wont give me my inheritance". A suspenseful yet poignant tale of the prejudices against illegitimacy, "No Name" captures the anxieties at the time but also love stories surrounding marriage.Two sisters, Magdalen and Norah Vanstone live an idyllic life in the English countryside with their wealthy parents. A tragedy upends their lives, suddenly losing their status in society. This new life brings Magdalen to York, then London, beginning her riveting tale of acting, marriage proposals, revenge, and even poison.A thriller that would put Dr Phil out of business, "No Name" emphasises romance in the face of rigid Victorian society.

Ok, nobody wants to lose 500 but is it big enough of a deal to deserve a short story? To put it into context: a Victorian 500 was about 60,000 in todays money. So, yeah, its a big deal. Thats why, when Lady Lydiard has the money stolen from her, the plot becomes a whodunnit. A precursor to modern-day detective novels, this novella revolves around the colourful characters (and a Scottie dog) who are all present in Lady Lydiards household when her 500 disappears.In this fun and compelling tale, two of the men suspected are both romantically interested in Isabel Miller, Lady Lydiards companion-cum-adoptive-daughter. "My Ladys Money" follows these suspects as the intensity of both the theft and romance increases.A classic mystery novella with a love story: think Miss Marple but with marriage proposals.

What is "poor" about Miss Finch? Well, with a novel with names like "Mr Sebright" (hes an eye specialist "see bright", geddit?), its all about sight. You see, Lucilla Finch has been blind since infancy until she meets the eccentric German doctor Herr Grosse who partially restores her sight. Far from treating her simply as a "poor" blind Victorian woman, this novel is conscious of the experience of blindness, particularly that of blindness and romance.Published a few years after his acclaimed mystery novel, "The Moonstone" (which starred Sarah Hadland in a recent BBC adaptation), Wilkie Collins now keeps up the mystery in "Poor Miss Finch". Having researched a real case of regained sight, Collins depicts great detail in Lucillas experience of colours whilst in the midst of a love triangle.Two brothers want Lucillas hand in marriage; their deception and plotting must be foiled before Lucilla unwittingly changes her life forever.

Cagney and Lacey may be the most iconic female detective duo, but who was the fictional female sleuth who started it all? Nancy Drew? Maybe Miss Marple? Nope one of the first literary female detectives was Valeria Brinton, this novels heroin. "The Law and the Lady" is the trailblazing book that begins the whole detective genre.In this suspenseful Victorian story, something is amiss with Valerias new husband, Eustace. Valeria becomes suspicious during their honeymoon in Ramsgate on the Kentish coast. Back in London, Valeria digs deeper and discovers Eustaces dark past.On the trail of truth, Valeria secretly investigates the legal proceedings surrounding Eustace to find her own evidence. After travelling to Edinburgh in Scotland, she unearths the answer that will rock the future of her marriage.Next time youre getting into your favourite detective movie deerstalker in hand remember where it all started.

When you think of Charles Dickens ghost stories, you may first think of A Christmas Carol and the ghosts that visit Scrooge. However, The Trail for Murder is perhaps Dickens second best-known ghost tale. Written in 1865, The Trial for Murder is a short story in which the ghost of a murder victim materialises to the foreman of the jury at his own murder trial. In this supernatural horror story, the ghost harasses the jurors and witnesses to ensure that his murderer is found guilty. While The Trial for Murder might not be considered scary by our modern-day standards it was one of the first ghost stories widely published and is a great read for fans of films like The Sixth Sense.

Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for playing the Joker, capturing the psychologically dark personality of a villain. Critics were stunned just as how the villainous character of Lydia Gwilt in "Armadale" stunned critics of the time. "Armadale" might give us the Victorian answer to the Joker, but its not only a psychological thriller. This novel is also a feat of classic Victorian themes of the supernatural, detectives, and romance.Inheriting his mothers family estate in Norfolk, Allan Armadale is brought into contact with the spine-chilling Lydia who is jealous of his love interest. Meanwhile, Allans friend, Ozias Midwinter, receives a letter written years before by a man on his deathbed also named Allan Armadale. The letter reveals a shocking secret that connects the past of Allan and Ozias.Discovering this secret, Lydia "the Joker" Gwilt uses it to plot against Allan in a dramatic tale of stolen identity and family inheritance.

Youve probably read or seen a film based on an epistolary novel (a story presented through letters sent between characters): "Persuasion", "Dracula", and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". Youll also like "The Black Robe" if you want to get straight into a characters thoughts from their letters, with compelling narration between the letters.Haunted by a death in Boulogne, Lewis Romayne returns to London where he meets Stella Eyrecourt, who falls in love with Lewis. Enter Father Benwell, a Catholic priest who wants to convert Lewis to Catholicism. He makes it his mission to stop a marriage between Lewis and Stella because Stella is Protestant.With the forces against them, Lewis and Stella then become embroiled in gripping events involving love triangles, Catholic authorities and inheritance. An insight into Victorian Englands angst surrounding the Catholic Church, this novel is ultimately about a love story against all odds.

Classic / British English (Available May 2008) The Moonstone is an ancient Indian diamond which brings disaster to everyone who owns it. Rachel Verinders uncle gives her the diamond as a birthday present, but that same night it is stolen The Moonstone is now seen as the first, and one of the best, English detective novels.

When Rachel Verinder receives a gift of an astonishing yellow diamond from her bitter old uncle for her eighteenth birthday, she has no idea that the stone brings great danger with it. When the diamond goes missing during the night the ensuing investigations gradually bring to light the sinister history of the jewel and the passions and plots of those close to Rachel.

Wilkie Collins. La novela gira en torno a un misterioso lugar, un decadente palacio veneciano transformado en hotel. En este misterioso edificio convergen las vidas de los diferentes personajes que protagonizan la novela y en el interior de sus paredes seremos testigos de alucinaciones y pesadillas fantasmales que reflejan los rincones mas oscuros del alma humana.

Wilkie Collins. Una intriga relacionada con una propiedad rural inglesa que hasta la reforma de Enrique VIII había pertenecido a la Iglesia Católica. Un prominente jesuita intenta convertir a la fe romana a su propietario, para luego convencerle de que renuncie a su heredad en favor de quienes siglos atras fueron despojados de ella por arbitrariedad real.

Wilkie Collins Adapted by Christopher Hall Activities by Frederick Garland Mystery & horror Late one night, on a lonely road near London, Walter Hartright, a young drawing teacher, meets a solitary woman dressed in white. This is the opening scene of The Woman in White, a great Victorian sensation novel, full of mystery, excitement, and suspense. Who is the mysterious woman in white, and why is she alone on the road to London at midnight? Dossier: Victorian Asylums Exit test