Little Novels

by Wilkie Collins

Collins's 1889 collection of fourteen short stories includes "Miss Morris and the Stranger," about a young governess and a fateful meeting, "Mr. Medhurst and the Princess," about two star-crossed lovers, and a dozen other tales involving love, social classes, money, and even ghosts.

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, British Literature

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1887

About the author

Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright, best known for The Woman in White (1860), an early sensation novel, and The Moonstone (1868), a pioneering work of detective fiction. Born to landscape painter William Collins and Harriet Geddes, he spent part of his childhood in Italy and France, learning both languages. Initially working as a tea merchant, he later studied law, though he never practiced. His literary career began with Antonina (1850), and a meeting with Charles Dickens in 1851 proved pivotal. The two became close friends and collaborators, with Collins contributing to Dickens' journals and co-writing dramatic works.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed Wilkie Collins novels very much, but these short stories are not nearly as good. The best of them are mildly interesting: others are thin and predictable. The most interesting thing about them is what they show about how men and women interacted at that time.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 3 out of 5]

An 1887 collection of 14 Wilkie Collins short stories first published between the years 1875 and 1887. The stories themselves are quite routine, being mainly Victorian melodramas set in England with a strong emphasis on the class system, but in the end that is what makes the stories so special. There are some common Wilkie Collins themes featured, including the common one of the return of a character presumed dead. Just to confuse matters, the stories all have different titles from those under which they were first published, or even when they were subsequently published. Which makes it difficult to tell without a bit of searching on Google whether you have read any of them elsewhere, as I found. Great for readers of Victorian fiction.

[Ryan Lingsweiler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, very enjoyable.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.67⭐

Mrs. Zant and the Ghost 3⭐
Miss Morris and the Stranger 4⭐
Mr. Cosway and the Landlady 3⭐
Mr. Medhurst and the Princess 4⭐
Mr. Lismore and the Widow 4.25⭐
Miss Jeromette and the Clergyman 4⭐
Miss Minaj and the Groom 3.4⭐
Mr. Lepel and the Housekeeper 5⭐
Mr. Captain and the Nymph 3⭐
Mr. Marmaduke and the Minister 3⭐
Mr. Percy and the Prophet 3⭐
Miss Betha and the Yankee 4.5⭐
Miss Dulane and My Lord 3.25⭐
Mr. Policeman and the Cook 4⭐

[Cooper Renner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting longish tales, but not first-rate like Moonstone or Woman in White.

[Jsn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining!