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Post by honeybzzzs on Feb 24, 2022 11:50:53 GMT -5
The first few times I read this book I didn’t much care for Uncle either. This time around, I listened on audiobook. The person did a great job of reading and made his comments more real and believable. I just had to laugh. I just recently was reading about illnesses in the Victorian Era. They mentioned a nervous disorder, that even slight noises could put the person on edge. I thought “Oh, maybe that was a real ailment that Uncle Fairly had”. I can’t remember the name of the ailment right now. I’ll have to go back and check.
I liked that Laura had a spark of feistiness. She is the classic Victorian Woman, but when she refused to sign papers for Sir Percival I had a little more respect for her.
Love/hate relationship with The Count. Loved the whole canary/white mice part of him. Big gentle man with his little creatures. Loved the fact that he could see beyond Marians looks, and fall in love with her intelligence and tenacity. I hated that he could regard human life with so little feeling. But then—we have to have a villain!
More later. Time to get to work.
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Post by torontogirl on Feb 24, 2022 11:52:32 GMT -5
I had love/hate feelings for both the uncle and Fosco.
Admiration for Marian and a strong dislike for Laura, I sort of wanted to kick her butt, often, get a spine, look at your sister. I guess she represented what most women of her social class in those days were like. Still, hard to understand what the attraction was.
I really liked all the minor characters, the maids and servants, their perspective, their life.
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sal
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Post by sal on Feb 24, 2022 12:29:24 GMT -5
I very much wanted to give Laura a Cher-in-Moonstruck "snap out of it" smack. But, that was most women in that time. I wanted to smack the uncle as well, for different reasons.
I hated the Countess. And fiancee/husband.
I liked Walter and Marian, and the lawyer. And like many others, had a love/hate for Fosco.
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Post by juliajones54 on Feb 24, 2022 14:35:10 GMT -5
Mr. Gilmore the lawyer was a strong favorite of mine. He really cared about Laura and tried to protect her as much as he could.
The most useless character was Uncle Fairlie. No one even grieved when he died, such a weak man. Wilkie Collins did not have a positive view of the wealthy class!
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Post by honeybzzzs on Feb 24, 2022 22:30:12 GMT -5
I liked both the lawyers. Gilmore and Kyrle. I really liked the reminder that just because you know your story is true doesn’t mean it will stand the test in a court of law. The fact that Walter had to prove dates and times before the lawyers could proceed.
And he did! Walter never gave up. I liked that about him. He was smart and didn’t waver in his belief that he could clear Laura’s name.
I REALLY disliked Mrs Catherick. Oh, she was a bad, selfish woman.
I didn’t have a problem with the Countess, but did wonder how she turned from a strong, independent woman to someone that would do Fosco’s bidding without question. I think she married for money and prestige. Fosco mentioned they were married in England and lived in England and had to follow the rules of England. Fosco was a powerful man. I think she was afraid of what he could do if she didn’t tow the line.
I just started listening to The Woman They Could Not Silence. Oh My! Set in the same time period as The Woman in White, it’s about how easily a husband can commit his wife to an insane asylum. For the mere fact that she has an opinion. That could certainly keep you in line! It also reminded me about how Laura came out of the asylum ‘don’t quite right’.
(Thank you @fairazzbueller for nominating that book for GDT Book Club. It had me at the first few lines—“this is a true story”)
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Post by juliajones54 on Feb 25, 2022 0:40:12 GMT -5
Honeybzzzs, yes, The Woman They Could Not Silence is a must read and I kept thinking of it while reading Woman in White! So glad it won a spot on the list. Reads like fiction but well researched and all true.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2022 6:50:43 GMT -5
“Thank you @fairazzbueller for nominating that book for GDT Book Club. It had me at the first few lines—“this is a true story”)
” I’m about halfway through it. Wow! I’m glad the author included those reader study questions. I was worried about doing this masterpiece justice during book club!
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Post by honeybzzzs on Feb 25, 2022 7:46:15 GMT -5
DAY FIVE
It’s the end of the week and the end of our discussion. Let’s wrap it up with how you felt about the ending of this book.
Did you anticipate how it would end? What changes, if any, would you have made in the ending?
Thank you everyone for participating. It’s been fun!
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Post by bumblebuzz21 on Feb 25, 2022 8:03:54 GMT -5
Like I had previously mentioned, I made it about 50% of the way through (the housekeeper's narrative about the nurse being hired for Marian) and I had zero idea where the story was going. I liked the ending!
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Post by torontogirl on Feb 25, 2022 8:36:15 GMT -5
Good morning all. I liked the ending, it all fell into place nicely even if somewhat predictably. Justice was done, always nice when that happens (I’m looking at you, real world).
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Post by honeybzzzs on Feb 25, 2022 8:55:03 GMT -5
Also, if you have questions or comments that we haven’t talked about, please feel free to add them. I have three.
How was Walter able to marry Laura when she was still ‘dead and buried’.
When Marian was sick and delirious with fever. And her “fever turned to typhus”. Fever turning into a disease didn’t sound correct to me. So I had to look up typhus. It is caused by getting bit by body lice, chiggers or fleas. Just another reminder about how life Really was in Victorian times—even for the rich.
And lastly. There was a comment on Goodreads about the wordiness of this novel. They reminded us that in that time people didn’t have access to TV, Internet, travel etc. A lot of things people had never experienced and the lengthy descriptions helped people visualize what may be unknown to them.
With that in mind, I had to look up the common things to that generation. Namely, the different types of horse transportation. Dog carts, flys, cabs, etc.
What were the little things that made you wonder?
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Post by torontogirl on Feb 25, 2022 9:12:29 GMT -5
Typhus is also acquired through drinking contaminated water. It was one of the many causes of death in the Nazi concentration camps. My dear aunt’s BF died of it, the sister begged her not to drink the ditch water but she was burning up with fever and did. Sorry, to digress.
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Post by bernelli on Feb 25, 2022 9:21:58 GMT -5
I loved this story. The ending was great, in that all the loose ends were tied up and explained. I was so happy that Laura & Walter were married and that Marian stayed with them. My biggest takeaway from our discussion is the comedic element Uncle Fairlie added -- I didn't see that for myself. I'm glad he wasn't the wastoid that I initially considered him to be! I think someday I might really enjoy listening to this story, too. Thanks for leading us in a discussion, honeybzzzs! This was a great story!
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lee058
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Post by lee058 on Feb 25, 2022 9:55:47 GMT -5
I'm glad we finally got to discussing this book! I like that we've been doing older books, mysteries, and non-traditional "book club fare."
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Post by moosishun on Feb 25, 2022 12:42:49 GMT -5
I am so sorry that I just could not get it together for read WIW. I had a million things to do and lost all motivation to do much of anything.
I will be re-reading and coming back to this thread!
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Post by honeybzzzs on Feb 25, 2022 19:59:56 GMT -5
I liked that the ending wraps everything up in a nice neat package. I did think it felt a bit rushed at the end. Sort of like Charles Dickens said “Come on Wilkie. Let’s finish this story up. I have other authors that want to be featured in my magazine too”. But what I REALLY want to know is what made moosishun laugh so hard at the ending of this book!?!? 😁
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Post by moosishun on Feb 25, 2022 21:43:22 GMT -5
When I get to it, I will let you know!
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