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What Members Thought
Collins is an excellent writer and this smartly crafted mystery will now be the benchmark for any mysteries that I read in the future.
I enjoyed the structure of the story. Collins uses the narratives of various characters to tell the story in a chronological manner, which I found to be very effective, especially since some of the main characters never get a chance to tell their story.
I also liked that Collins really understand the female perspective in this book. I continue to be pleasantly surp ...more
I enjoyed the structure of the story. Collins uses the narratives of various characters to tell the story in a chronological manner, which I found to be very effective, especially since some of the main characters never get a chance to tell their story.
I also liked that Collins really understand the female perspective in this book. I continue to be pleasantly surp ...more
So I loved the first third of this book. I also love the epistolary style. And of course, Collins' invention of the mystery novel is on full display here. But it was just so dang long and unnecessarily complicated. I almost gave up several times. Still, I'm glad I stuck with it. Not sure whether I'll pick up any other Collins. If it was extremely beautiful prose, it would have passed the time more easily. But it wasn't lofty, nor very interesting, in verbal content. The characters were well draw
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I'd previously read The Moonstone and found this a bit more tricky to read. However, it was a compelling story and the use of different narrators to move the plot along was very good and ahead of its time.
I think it's only fault is a lack of pace, some parts were written with that Victorian habit of too much unnecessary description.
A clever plot, well constructed and characters which leap off the page. ...more
I think it's only fault is a lack of pace, some parts were written with that Victorian habit of too much unnecessary description.
A clever plot, well constructed and characters which leap off the page. ...more
Nov 11, 2009
Doina
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Nov 30, 2018
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Jan 25, 2019
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