The Woman in White

Contemporaries considered "The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins to be the most popular novel of the 19th century. It was written in 1860 and immediately made the author a well-known writer. Fans eagerly awaited the releases of the Dickensian magazine "All the Year Round," where the book was published in installments. Collins drew the idea for his romantic drama from "The Directory of Famous Court Cases" by Maurice Mejan, which narrated the story of a French marchioness whose brother seized her fortune by placing her in a lunatic asylum under a fictional name. Collins' novel begins with the episode of the main character, William Hartwright, meeting a mysterious woman in white who has escaped from the asylum. The unraveling of the mystery surrounding this enigmatic heroine is one of the main plot lines of the novel, closely intertwined with another - the love story between poor artist William Hartwright and wealthy heiress Laura Fairlie. The rejection of society and social conventions will stand in the way of this love. However, a far more terrifying obstacle will be unscrupulous individuals willing to commit any crimes for money and to protect the secrets of their past.