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The dead secret A novel (1874)
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Product Description
Product Description
"Oh, my God! to think of that kind-hearted, lovely young woman, who brings happiness with her wherever she goes, bringing terror to me! Terror when her pitying eyes look at me; terror when her kind voice speaks to me; terror when her tender hand touches mind!" Porthgenna Tower on the remote western Cornish coast. Moments before her death, Mrs Treverton dictates a secret to her maid, never to be passed to her husband as she had instructed. Fifteen years later, when Mrs Treverton's daughter, Rosamond, returns to Porthgenna with her blind husband, Leonard, she is intrigued by the strange and seemingly disturbed Mrs Jazeph's warning not to enter the Myrtle Room in the ruined north wing. Strong-minded and ingenious, Rosamond's determined detective work uncovers shocking and unsettling truths beyond all expectation. A mystery of unrelenting suspense and psychologically penetrating characters, The Dead Secret explores the relationship between a fallen woman, her illegitimate daughter, and buried secrets in a superb blend of romance and Gothic drama. Wilkie Collins's fifth novel, The Dead Secret anticipates the themes of his next novel, The Woman in White in its treatment of mental illness, disguise and deception, and the dispossession of lost identity. Yet a series of comic figures offsets the tension, from the dyspeptic Mr Phippen to the perpetually smiling governess, Miss Sturch. Displaying the talent and energy which made Collins the most popular novelist of the 1860s, The Dead Secret represents a crucial phase in Collins's rise as a mystery writer, and was his first full-length novel written specifically for serialization.
About the Author
A popular and influential English novelist, dramatist, and short story writer, Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was the son of a famous landscape painter, William Collins. Renowned for his sensational mysteries and romances, he is hailed as the inventor of the detective novel. Collins was a lawyer by training. Among his most famous works are The Woman in White (1860), The Moonstone (1867), and No Name (1862).
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anyone who has enjoyed Wilkie Collins' better known novels, and is looking to venture into new Collins territory, should enjoy this tale.
We are on familiar Collins terrain - an air of suspense haunts the narrative, there is a strong female lead and there is a mystery to be unraveled. What is not so familiar is the spelling out of that mystery - the dead secret of the title - fairly early on in the book.
However, as ever, Collins is the consummate storyteller and the reader remains gripped by seeing just how the various threads of the plot will be unraveled. For a mystery solved in part one, there is plenty to keep the reader page turning to the very end.
The novel was serialized in Household Words, and the Dickensian links are there for all to see. Particularly in characters such as the genial Uncle Joseph, or the stiff and pompous steward Mr Munder.
However, Collins is a strong writer in his own right. I do my reading on a commuter train to London, and the nicest thing about this book is it's delightful escapism - it is very absorbing and intelligent without being over-taxing.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Warning: this review contains spoilers
This is another of those early Wilkie Collins' novels which display many of the themes and preoccupations which found fruit in his greatest novels 'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone' - a strong narrative drive and bags of atmosphere.
The secret is easy to fathom early on, but that does not detract from enjoying the novel.
Highlights are the account of Mrs Treverton's death, the description of the ruined mansion Porthgenna Tower and the discovery of a document in a room unopened for many years, an excellent piece of writing where Collins really racks up the tension.
There are also a strong set of characters: the tortured Sarah Leeson, her supportive Uncle Joseph who carries a music box with him everywhere, the forceful Rosamond Frankland; even the servants at Porthgenna, Mrs Pentreath and Mr Munder, are strongly individualised.
A rattling good yarn.
This is another of those early Wilkie Collins' novels which display many of the themes and preoccupations which found fruit in his greatest novels 'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone' - a strong narrative drive and bags of atmosphere.
The secret is easy to fathom early on, but that does not detract from enjoying the novel.
Highlights are the account of Mrs Treverton's death, the description of the ruined mansion Porthgenna Tower and the discovery of a document in a room unopened for many years, an excellent piece of writing where Collins really racks up the tension.
There are also a strong set of characters: the tortured Sarah Leeson, her supportive Uncle Joseph who carries a music box with him everywhere, the forceful Rosamond Frankland; even the servants at Porthgenna, Mrs Pentreath and Mr Munder, are strongly individualised.
A rattling good yarn.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
This review applies specifically to the Kindle edition:
Wilkie Collins was a genius, and I was really looking forward to reading this book in the certainty that it was going to be great. Unfortunately, the Kindle edition is littered with typographical and formatting errors, rendering it unreadable. I don't expect to pay £3 for the pleasure and can't believe Amazon don't exert any sort of quality control over products offered in the Kindle store.
My advice: go buy the paper edition, I'm sure it's amazing. But stay well clear of ths digital download.
Wilkie Collins was a genius, and I was really looking forward to reading this book in the certainty that it was going to be great. Unfortunately, the Kindle edition is littered with typographical and formatting errors, rendering it unreadable. I don't expect to pay £3 for the pleasure and can't believe Amazon don't exert any sort of quality control over products offered in the Kindle store.
My advice: go buy the paper edition, I'm sure it's amazing. But stay well clear of ths digital download.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
great gothic mystery
I'm a big Dickens enthusiast and had only read The Woman in White and The Moonstone and had just consigned Wilkie Collins to the 'also rans' of literary history. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lyn
Moments of Anticipation
If you know Collins, then you know what to expect! However, it has moments of suspense and the usual Gothic horror - not as strong a novel as No Name - his masterpiece -but still... Read more
Published 19 months ago by music lover
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