Armadale [with Biographical Introduction] [Kindle Edition]

"Armadale" was published between "No Name" and "The Moonstone". It is an interesting and very well written story, about human wills against fate and against each other. As with the case of the major works of Collins, there are many themes, scenes and morales that would be selected as their favorites, by different readers. My assessment is that this fine book boils down to the story of Miss Gwilt. From the pages of her diary, you explore the mind of a sophisticated, audacious and long-suffering beauty, of magnetic attraction. It is amazing how Collins could switch personalities and have written those diary pages as if he were actually inside Miss Gwilt's mind. There are many other characters and descriptions, so realistic that you wonder if all the story really happened. And Collins' eye is so keen and his writing so effective, that in some cases even very minor characters get alive in your mind. For instance, the scene where the nurse of Mrs. Milroy (an invalid who can't leave her bed) asks for an special handkerchief of her patient, as a bribe, before opening for her an envelope adressed to other person and then close it and give it back. The operation is carried out by the nurse efficiently and silently. As those little extortions we see, with so many people! Miss Gwilt has 2 very clever allies, in different parts of the story, but they don't have strong opponents (as in "No Name", also reviewed by me). Their fight is mainly against fate and Miss Gwilt tortured soul. This is an excellent book, but not so memorable as its 3 famous brothers ("The Woman in White", "No name" and "The Moonstone") as to re-read it. I'm planning to go over those 3 master pieces again, in the near future.

This novel is quite on par with _The Woman In White_, and I think I may even like this novel just a little bit more. I particularly like the fact that in this novel, Collins lets the villain tell a large portion of the story, making her a more sympathetic character than Count Fosco ever was. Throughout the novel, you know full-well that Lydia Gwilt is a wicked woman and that she is out to destroy Alan Armadale, but you can't help wishing her success. (The fact that Alan Armadale is a complete jerk doesn't hurt her case, either!)

Of course, the Most Sympathetic Character Award doesn't go to Lydia; it goes to the ever-suffering Ozias Midwinter. From his birth, this poor guy never gets a chance to be happy, but you'll have to read the book yourself to find out why not.

This book doesn't have the humorous, tension-easing characters of _The Moonstone_ or _The Woman In White_, but, as you might expect from Wilkie Collins, this book is fast-paced, entertaining, and an amazingly good read!

sind die zwei männlichen Hauptfiguren dieses klug struktierten Romans. Die zwei Männer sind sehr verschieden in Aussehen und Charakter. Einer ist hellhaarig und unbekümmert, der Andere ist dunkelhaarig und hat "fidgety nerves". Der dunkelhaarige Allan Armadale, der einen 'angenommenen' Namen statt seines offiziellen Namens benutzt, ist der komplexere und, mMn, der interessantere Charakter. Der blonde Allan Armadale ist, mMn, gelegentlich etwas 'nervig'.
Der Schurke/Bösewicht der Geschichte ist eine Frau, die ihre Schönheit benutzt, um andere Leute zu manipulieren.
Wilkie Collins, der eine packende Erzählung spinnt, verwendet allwissende Erzählung/die allwissende Erzählform, (fiktive) Briefe und Tagebucheinträge, um die Geschichte zu erzählen. Einige 'Wendungen' sind leicht zu erraten. Ich mutmaßte schon ziemlich früh, dass Mr. Ingleby in Wirklichkeit/tatsächlich ... Und die Beschreibung von Ozias Midwinter bestätigte meine Annahme, dass er niemand Anderer ist als ... Aber diese zwei leicht zu erratenden Wendungen verringern nicht die Spannung. In der (ungewöhnlichen) Handlung des Romans spielen Täuschung und Heimlichkeit eine Rolle. Charaktere haben oft Geheimnisse voreinander.
Ein (fiktiver) Traum spielt eine sehr große Rolle in der Geschichte und es gibt viel Aufheben/'Getue' um den Traum. Aber das trägt zur Spannung bei. Wilkie Collins' "Armadale" ist "never dull" (T.S.Eliot).
Kurz gesagt: "Armadale" ist ein klug strukturierter, packender Roman mit einer ungewöhnlichen Handlung.

The two Allan Armadales

are the male main characters of this cleverly structured novel. The two men are very different in appearance and character. One is light-haired and easy-going, the other is dark-haired and has "fidgety nerves". The dark-haired Allan Armadale, who uses an assumed name, is the more complex and, IMO, the more interesting character. The blond Allan Armadale is, IMO, at times slightly enervating.
The story's baddy is a woman who uses her beauty to manipulate other people.
Wilkie Collins, who spins a gripping tale, uses omniscient narration, (fictitious) letters and diary entries to tell the story. Some 'twists' are easy to guess. I surmised early on that Mr. Ingleby is in fact ... And the description of Ozias Midwinter confirmed my assumption that he is no other than ... But these two easy-to-guess twists do not diminish suspense. The novel's (unusual) plot involves deception and secrecy. Characters often keep secrets from each other.
A (fictitious) dream plays an important role/part in the story and there is much ado about this dream. But this ado adds suspense to the story. Wilkie Collins's "Armadale" is "never dull" (T.S.Eliot).
To sum up, "Armadale" is a cleverly structured, gripping novel with an unusual plot.