Wilkie Collins and his novels

Wilkie Collins is an English novelist known for sensational novels in which mysterious family traditions, ghosts and incredible crimes are central. The plots of his novels are based on paradox, and Collins successfully selected “sensational” themes, captivating and dragging the reader into the world of his characters.

A bit about the author

The son of a famous painter, Wilkie was born in 1824, on January 8. The boy studied at home. In 1835, he began to attend Maida Hill Academy, followed by a two-year break (the family traveled to Italy and France). Collins later said that Italy in terms of landscapes, people and paintings gave him more than he knew at school. Returning to England, he continued his studies at Cole's boarding school. It was here that he took place as a narrator.

In 1841, Wilkie Collins left school and began to serve in a tea trading company. In 1846 he studied law at Lincolns Inn. In 1851, he became a member of the corporation of lawyers, but this profession never interested him, although in several of his novels he gave lawyers a central place. Wilkie’s father died in 1847, and a year later the writer’s first book, Memoirs on the Life of William Collins, was published and received good reviews from critics.

Early novels

For a long time Wilkie hesitated between the career of an artist and an author. Perhaps this explains the skill of painting in his works - they are full of descriptions of landscapes, everyday scenes, portraits, works of art. Starting a literary career with his father’s biography, Wilkie began writing novels. First, a historical novel was written about the fall of Rome - “Antonina”. This was followed by the novels “Basil” (1852), Hide and Seek (1854) and “Secret” (1856).

In the early work of Wilkie Collins, he seeks to meet the expectations of the reader: this is evident by the fact that he refers to the conflicts and plots previously used by famous authors to remake them and create the effect of surprise. Starting from the novels “Basil” (1852) and “Hide and Seek” (1854), the author’s interest in modernity became noticeable. A detective element has been strengthened in these works, and the writer has the opportunity to expand the themes - these are problems of upbringing, love, social relations, religiosity, eternal fathers and children. It is in these novels that Collins creates significant characters.

Sensational novels

In 1860 and 1868, “Woman in White” and “Moonstone” came out. By this time, the writer was already close to Dickens, took up editorial work, and together they created a number of plays. Wilkie Collins’s books “Anonymous”, “Armadale”, “Without an Exit”, published respectively in 1862, 1864, 1867, already have a strong motivation for the actions of the heroes. Now the author does not turn to literary sources, but to real documents, like a lawyer, primarily to court materials, which has a beneficial effect on the life veracity of his heroes. So, “Woman in White” is based on a real lawsuit. In “Moonstone” the writer's mastery reaches its peak when several participants in the events look at what is happening from different angles.

Since the release of these books, Collins has gained fame as the founder of a sensational novel. The plot of such a novel is based on paradox, on something unusual. By the beginning of the 20th century, it will practically come out of mass use. But Collins picked up “sensational” topics: the girl was cured of blindness, but she refuses to see; the woman lived for many years with her married husband, but secular law invalidates the wedding.

Interest in these novels does not fade even a century and a half later, as evidenced by the film adaptation of Wilkie Collins' works, such as, for example, Basil, The Moonstone, Woman in White. The first of them was filmed in 1999, and the last three times attracted the attention of filmmakers - in 1981, 1982 and 1997.

Woman theme

At the end of the 19th century, the problem of female emancipation occupied a large place in the literature. Collins did not go around the “women's issue” in his work. In the novel “Husband and Wife” (1870), the author draws the attention of the reader to the problems of marriage law. “Law and Wife” (1875) tells of a woman whose family happiness now depends on whether the jury verdict “not proven” can be replaced by “not guilty”.

The work "Black Cassock" tells of a young heir who fell into religious networks. “New Magdalene” (1873) - the story of a girl left without support from childhood. Once at the bottom of society, through pain and suffering, she is trying to break out of an alien world.

The problems raised in these works are deepened by Wilkie Collins in the books “Poor Miss Finch” (1870), “Miss or Mrs.” (1871). The Fallen Leaves (1879) raises the theme of ugly public morality; in “Heart and Science” (1882) he opposes vivisection; in the novel “I Say No” (1883), a woman has to fight for her reputation. “Evil Genius” (1885), “Guilty River” (1886), “Cain's Legacy” (1888) are also full of psychologism and drama.

Intrigue for the reader

Critics have recognized Collins as a master of action-packed narrative. Many note that his novels are read in one sitting, and interest is only growing. Each character in the story contributes to unraveling the intrigue, but its essence is revealed at the very end of the book. The writer Wilkie Collins is in constant tension, despite the fact that the plot is simple.

The intrigue for the author is not the main thing, it is intended for the reader - it is a trap for involvement and part of everyday life, from which the author borrows most of the stories. In addition to the detective component, Collins' novels are distinguished by romanticism, sometimes mysticism, grotesque and melodrama. And “melodrama is an eternal essence”, as T. Eliot liked to repeat. The need for it is also eternal and must be satisfied. This is the popularity of Wilkie Collins' works - it captures and retains the interest of the reader, and the work only boils with life when it is in the hands of the reader.