Wilkie Collins and Me -OR - Where Have I Been?

Ever since the first time I saw Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol when I was a little kid (probably about 8 LOL-inside joke) I have loved the great British writers; Dickens (the spirit who haunts these walls), Keats, Wilde, and I always loved reading the sermons of Charles Spurgeon. Now let me say this before I come across as a complete idiot - I have heard of Wilkie Collins. Probably as long as I have known of Dickens, I have known the name. Over the years I could easily spout off at least a few of his works and what they are about. Given context and a line-up of mugshots I could even point out his picture! But this summer I had an epiphany, ok, epiphany's a little strong, but this ranks pretty high on the wake-up-and-smell-the-roses scale, - I realized I have never actually READ any of Collins' stuff! Fo' shame! Yikes! Ugh! Where have I been? I mean really! I read A LOT, no really, trust me on this one - I read A LOT, but I have never read a single work written by a contemporary, nay, a friend of Charles Dickens!

So, long story short - I have finally read some Wilkie Collins!! I started out with The Dream Woman and Other Stories. Like any author, I didn't care for every story, but a few were really outstanding: The Dream Woman, Nine O'Clock, and others. I liked these stories so much that I just had to run down to my library (another post for another time) and pick up a copy of The Woman in White, which is at the bedside right now.

I have just started The Woman in White, and I'm not sure yet what it's all about, but so far I am loving it! There's just something about the vintage authors that grab me and keep me coming back for more! So, when I finish this book I think we will have to discuss the Victorian writers and see what makes them different from emergent literature... nothing too heavy, I promise! 'Til then...