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Poor Miss Finch
Wilkie Collins's intriguing story about a blind girl, Lucilla Finch, and the identical twins who both fall in love with her, has the exciting complications of his better-known novels but it also overturns conventional expectations.
Using a background of myth and fairy-tale to expand the boundaries of nineteenth-century realist fiction, Collins gives one of the best accounts in fiction of blindness and its implications.
Using a background of myth and fairy-tale to expand the boundaries of nineteenth-century realist fiction, Collins gives one of the best accounts in fiction of blindness and its implications.
470 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1872
About the author
Wilkie Collins
2,472 books2,997 followersWilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright, best known for The Woman in White (1860), an early sensation novel, and The Moonstone (1868), a pioneering work of detective fiction. Born to landscape painter William Collins and Harriet Geddes, he spent part of his childhood in Italy and France, learning both languages. Initially working as a tea merchant, he later studied law, though he never practiced. His literary career began with Antonina (1850), and a meeting with Charles Dickens in 1851 proved pivotal. The two became close friends and collaborators, with Collins contributing to Dickens' journals and co-writing dramatic works.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
October 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this one - a very interesting and compelling novel, especially in the second half. I especially found the way it looked at Lucilla's blindness and Oscar's disfigurement really interesting. Would definitely recommend!
March 26, 2026
One of Wilkie Collins' lesser known delights that is assuredly worthy of a MUCH higher literary profile than it has.
November 18, 2018
Took me quite a while to get into this novel. That was my experience of No Name as well. In fact, that was my first and almost my last experience of Collins. I nearly gave up on it and then suddenly found the pages turning themselves as I was hurtled along. This grabbed hold of me eventually but its hurtling grip was never quite as strong as for No Name and nowhere near as strong as for The Moonstone or Woman in White. (Mind you those two are very bright stars in the firmament of Victorian Literature.)
This would be the Wilkie Collins that I would place on my reading list for a 19th Century Novel course. The elements are more open and there are a lot of them. This would make a great seminar novel for students who are beginning to build up their own maps of the landscape of English literature and its recurring features. You can cross reference this novel with Hardy, with Shakespeare, with Locke and Berkeley, with Dickens and they are just the names I've thought of while typing this sentence.
I strongly recommend the introduction to the Oxford World Classics edition. This essay by Catherine Peters covers everything (and more) that I might have to say about the novel. It does what I like in a review which is to make me think that my own thoughts, as I was reading the book, had some validity. The fact that I like it because I agree with it doesn't necessarily make it a good essay but it saves me the effort of writing a long review.
My usual rules for judging a book include:
Did I enjoy it? Yes, eventually
Would I read it again? Possibly
Did I believe it? Not really but then I don't think you are supposed to. This is the Silas Marner end of Victorian literature where storytelling means just that and embraces the whole culture. If Silas Marner is in some senses a re-telling of Rumplestiltskin (or Tom Tit Tot to give the story its English derivation) then Poor Miss Finch is Beauty and the Beast.
Is there more to it than just the story? (Apart from the dangerously pejorative word, 'just') I'd say an undoubted yes. This volume has enough to keep the literary philosophers happy for a seminar or two themselves.
Would I recommend it? To a fan of Dickens and Collins. Yes. To the student, see above. To the general reader unfamiliar with the works of Wilkie Collins I'd say read The Moonstone and (particularly) The Woman in White first.
This would be the Wilkie Collins that I would place on my reading list for a 19th Century Novel course. The elements are more open and there are a lot of them. This would make a great seminar novel for students who are beginning to build up their own maps of the landscape of English literature and its recurring features. You can cross reference this novel with Hardy, with Shakespeare, with Locke and Berkeley, with Dickens and they are just the names I've thought of while typing this sentence.
I strongly recommend the introduction to the Oxford World Classics edition. This essay by Catherine Peters covers everything (and more) that I might have to say about the novel. It does what I like in a review which is to make me think that my own thoughts, as I was reading the book, had some validity. The fact that I like it because I agree with it doesn't necessarily make it a good essay but it saves me the effort of writing a long review.
My usual rules for judging a book include:
Did I enjoy it? Yes, eventually
Would I read it again? Possibly
Did I believe it? Not really but then I don't think you are supposed to. This is the Silas Marner end of Victorian literature where storytelling means just that and embraces the whole culture. If Silas Marner is in some senses a re-telling of Rumplestiltskin (or Tom Tit Tot to give the story its English derivation) then Poor Miss Finch is Beauty and the Beast.
Is there more to it than just the story? (Apart from the dangerously pejorative word, 'just') I'd say an undoubted yes. This volume has enough to keep the literary philosophers happy for a seminar or two themselves.
Would I recommend it? To a fan of Dickens and Collins. Yes. To the student, see above. To the general reader unfamiliar with the works of Wilkie Collins I'd say read The Moonstone and (particularly) The Woman in White first.
October 24, 2022
[Edited] Oh Wilkie Collins... What a whirlwind this reading experience was!
Bumping up to 5 stars, this book was just fantastic!
Bumping up to 5 stars, this book was just fantastic!
October 17, 2020
This novel is really interesting in many ways. First of all, Wilkie Collins takes character types that would normally make for questionable characters in Victorian literature, the disabled and deformed, and makes them the heroes of his story in a sympathetic attempt to give them a voice and show how the common behavior towards them hurts them. Speaking of characters, the ones in his books always seem to be exaggerated but still three dimensional: the good guys have flaws and things to ridicule as well as the villians redeeming factors. The way he draws them make them memorable and easy to latch on to.
Also, the book has elements of what today would be different genres: hard hitting contemporary drama, a tiny bit of mystery, romance and even domestic thriller. In modern books it would be hard to make the shifts in plot work but here there was a consistent tone and getting from one point to the next seemed logical. There were some minor plot elements that were a teensy bit frustrating, like including a liar reveal / deception element, but it was handled in a way that didn't impact my enjoyment much. The villian would be right at home in a domestic thriller, not seeming like one at first with just minor red flags but later turning out to have some creepy motives.
I'm exited to soon discover more works by Wilkie Collins since they sure are something special.
Also, the book has elements of what today would be different genres: hard hitting contemporary drama, a tiny bit of mystery, romance and even domestic thriller. In modern books it would be hard to make the shifts in plot work but here there was a consistent tone and getting from one point to the next seemed logical. There were some minor plot elements that were a teensy bit frustrating, like including a liar reveal / deception element, but it was handled in a way that didn't impact my enjoyment much. The villian would be right at home in a domestic thriller, not seeming like one at first with just minor red flags but later turning out to have some creepy motives.
I'm exited to soon discover more works by Wilkie Collins since they sure are something special.
July 29, 2016
Collins can really bait a hook. The scene where Mme. Pratalungo first meets Miss Finch is a perfect example of how to draw a reader in and hold them. Nor does he shy away from the sensational - a blind heroine, a set of twins, and an extraordinary side-effect to medication? I couldn't help wondering what a blind person would think of the portrayal of Lucille. I haven't read many books with a blind protagonist. What Lucille said about "seeing" people giving too much importance to their sense of sight is probably quite true - not that sight isn't important, but that we neglect to appreciate the significant value of the other senses by comparison.
The story brought up a few questions - are twins' voices identical? Is their handwriting really the same? Wouldn't they smell different? (I have this probably erroneous idea that a blind person might be better at telling identical twins apart - not being distracted by visual cues.) After "No Name", this book was a let-down for me. (But then, "No Name" was awesome.) You can only know more than the characters do for so long before it becomes irritating. On the other hand, there were a lot of unusual dilemmas raised, and it was never boring.
The story brought up a few questions - are twins' voices identical? Is their handwriting really the same? Wouldn't they smell different? (I have this probably erroneous idea that a blind person might be better at telling identical twins apart - not being distracted by visual cues.) After "No Name", this book was a let-down for me. (But then, "No Name" was awesome.) You can only know more than the characters do for so long before it becomes irritating. On the other hand, there were a lot of unusual dilemmas raised, and it was never boring.
April 22, 2023
I think I’m going to go 3.5 rounded up to 4. I enjoyed this! I liked it less than The Woman in White and more than The Moonstone, The Dead Secret, and The Law and the Lady. I had so much fun reading along with Jess, Rainey, and Kate! We still need to chat about the ending so I’ll be back with more soon.
November 29, 2025
When this was written people had fewer forms of entertainment available so they would have more patience with this. When I first read this I rated it 4 stars. My rating for the audio, although it is dramatic,is 2 stars. So I'm lowering my overall rating to three.
March 29, 2020
Ya estáis tardando en leerlo 💘
May 24, 2023
Poor Miss Finch segue la vicenda di Lucilla Finch, una giovane ragazza inglese dalla bellezza divina, cieca sin dall’infanzia che si ritroverà suo malgrado vittima di un astuto raggiro. Insieme a lei un personaggio dalle numerose sfaccettature con spiccate tendenze liberali, Madame Pratolungo, dal nome di origine latine, chiamata a stare al suo fianco come accompagnatrice.
La storia si tinge a poco poco di sfumature misteriose, dettagli che fanno temere il peggio, atmosfere solo a tratti concitate ma che portano a voler leggere il romanzo tutto d’un fiato.
Accanto all’approccio realista verso il tema della disabilità che Collins tratta delicatamente mostrandone la vulnerabilità ma soprattutto le implicazioni di chi ne è affetto, si notano anche delle tinte fiabesche. Ad esempio, Jicks una bambina dispettosa che ricorda un folletto e il finale che evoca il classico ‘e vissero felici e contenti’ alleggerendo il tono complessivo della storia e iscrivendola in un ambito a confine tra realismo e fantasia.
Tematiche ricorrenti nella narrativa collinsiana (scambi di persona, un segreto tenuto nascosto alla protagonista, inganni e raggiri) affiancano interessanti novità come l’utilizzo di una narratrice interna dal carattere ostinato e intrepido, in contrasto con altri narratori maschili dello stesso autore la cui autostima si costruiva solo a seguito dell’incontro con una donna. Con M. Pratolungo, narratrice della storia, parliamo di una figura sicura di sé, mediatrice e intermediaria.
Interessante inoltre come Collins affronta la disabilità di Lucilla. Un tema delicato che richiede conoscenza e grande sensibilità per poter essere sviluppato all’interno di un romanzo, specie in un epoca in cui il disabile era ancora visto in ottica negativa e stigmatizzata. Al contrario, in Poor Miss Finch Lucilla è un personaggio determinato, sicuro delle proprie scelte e consapevole delle conseguenze anche permanenti delle proprie decisioni.
Un romanzo assolutamente da non perdere per i fan di questo ancora poco conosciuto autore ma anche, più in generale, per gli appassionati del romanzo ottocentesco.
La storia si tinge a poco poco di sfumature misteriose, dettagli che fanno temere il peggio, atmosfere solo a tratti concitate ma che portano a voler leggere il romanzo tutto d’un fiato.
Accanto all’approccio realista verso il tema della disabilità che Collins tratta delicatamente mostrandone la vulnerabilità ma soprattutto le implicazioni di chi ne è affetto, si notano anche delle tinte fiabesche. Ad esempio, Jicks una bambina dispettosa che ricorda un folletto e il finale che evoca il classico ‘e vissero felici e contenti’ alleggerendo il tono complessivo della storia e iscrivendola in un ambito a confine tra realismo e fantasia.
Tematiche ricorrenti nella narrativa collinsiana (scambi di persona, un segreto tenuto nascosto alla protagonista, inganni e raggiri) affiancano interessanti novità come l’utilizzo di una narratrice interna dal carattere ostinato e intrepido, in contrasto con altri narratori maschili dello stesso autore la cui autostima si costruiva solo a seguito dell’incontro con una donna. Con M. Pratolungo, narratrice della storia, parliamo di una figura sicura di sé, mediatrice e intermediaria.
Interessante inoltre come Collins affronta la disabilità di Lucilla. Un tema delicato che richiede conoscenza e grande sensibilità per poter essere sviluppato all’interno di un romanzo, specie in un epoca in cui il disabile era ancora visto in ottica negativa e stigmatizzata. Al contrario, in Poor Miss Finch Lucilla è un personaggio determinato, sicuro delle proprie scelte e consapevole delle conseguenze anche permanenti delle proprie decisioni.
Un romanzo assolutamente da non perdere per i fan di questo ancora poco conosciuto autore ma anche, più in generale, per gli appassionati del romanzo ottocentesco.
August 20, 2010
Having read all four of Wilkie Collins' most popular books (The Woman in White, Armadale, No Name and The Moonstone), I am now exploring his less popular novels. This one, Poor Miss Finch, was published in 1872 and unlike most of the books that preceded it, is not really a 'sensation novel', although it does have certain sensational elements (mysterious strangers, theft, assault, letters being intercepted, mistaken identities etc). It's actually an interesting study into what it's like to be blind since infancy and the emotions a person experiences on learning that there may be a chance of regaining their sight.
This book handles the topic of blindness in a sensitive and intriguing way. It's obvious that Collins had done a lot of research into the subject and the results are fascinating. He discusses the theory that when a person is blind their other senses improve to compensate for their lack of sight and he weighs up the advantages and disadvantages there would be if this person then regained their sight. I had never even thought about some of the aspects of blindness that are mentioned in the book.
The characters, as usual, are wonderful - most of them anyway. Lucilla, the 'Poor Miss Finch' of the title, is not very likeable (she has a tendency to throw foot-stamping tantrums when she doesn't get her own way) but I loved Madame Pratolungo - she was such an amusing and engaging narrator! We also meet Reverend Finch, Lucilla's father, who chooses to recite Hamlet at the most inappropriate moments, and his wife, Mrs Finch, who is 'never completely dressed; never completely dry; always with a baby in one hand and a novel in the other'. With Lucilla's little half-sister Jicks, Collins even makes a three year old girl into an unusual and memorable character.
Although I thought parts of the plot felt contrived, the story did become very gripping towards the end. This was an interesting and thought provoking read, and if you have enjoyed any other Wilkie Collins books, then I suspect you might enjoy this one too.
This book handles the topic of blindness in a sensitive and intriguing way. It's obvious that Collins had done a lot of research into the subject and the results are fascinating. He discusses the theory that when a person is blind their other senses improve to compensate for their lack of sight and he weighs up the advantages and disadvantages there would be if this person then regained their sight. I had never even thought about some of the aspects of blindness that are mentioned in the book.
The characters, as usual, are wonderful - most of them anyway. Lucilla, the 'Poor Miss Finch' of the title, is not very likeable (she has a tendency to throw foot-stamping tantrums when she doesn't get her own way) but I loved Madame Pratolungo - she was such an amusing and engaging narrator! We also meet Reverend Finch, Lucilla's father, who chooses to recite Hamlet at the most inappropriate moments, and his wife, Mrs Finch, who is 'never completely dressed; never completely dry; always with a baby in one hand and a novel in the other'. With Lucilla's little half-sister Jicks, Collins even makes a three year old girl into an unusual and memorable character.
Although I thought parts of the plot felt contrived, the story did become very gripping towards the end. This was an interesting and thought provoking read, and if you have enjoyed any other Wilkie Collins books, then I suspect you might enjoy this one too.
July 18, 2011
A real must-read for fans of Victorian melodrama. Poor blind Miss Finch gets caught up in a drama between identical twin brothers, her incredibly pompous father is of no use, and her batty German ophthalmologist cares as much for his chicken salad lunches as he does for her! Who can save her you ask? Why - her companion, Madame Pratalungo, the omniscient narrator of events, now one of my favorite characters in this genre!
The Librivox (free!) audio version is narrated by a blind woman herself, who can switch voices effortlessly, capturing every nuance of the personality.
The Librivox (free!) audio version is narrated by a blind woman herself, who can switch voices effortlessly, capturing every nuance of the personality.
October 30, 2024
While not as sensational as other Wilkie Collins I've read, this book was still so enjoyable! It had lots of bumbling, hilarious characters, along with a narrator who had such a distinctive voice. I thought it dragged in places, but overall enjoyed it immensely!
November 23, 2021
Llegué a esta novela sin prisa y con calma; puesto que, recién este mes me decidí a leerla (después de tenerla conmigo desde hace meses) y grata ha sido mi sorpresa.
Mi primer Wilkie Collins.
Esta el la historia de Lucilla o "La pobre señorita Finch", una joven invidente, que se verá envuelta en una serie de argucias y trampas; debido a, el amor que sienten por ella dos hermanos que harán de todo por ganar su afecto.
La trama es muy entretenida y la intriga atrapa al lector a cada página. En lo personal, me encanta la inclusión de cartas y diarios en la narración porque, todos estos elementos, nos permite conocer el punto de vista y la psicología de cada personaje, y no solo la voz de un único narrador.
Otro punto importante en todo libro son: los personaje. En el particular que nos atañe, la construcción de estos está bien lograda. No hay personajes buenos ni malos, son todos muy humanos; es decir, con todas sus cualidades y defectos, muy propensos a cometer errores y ser víctimas de sus pasiones. Bajo esta premisa bien podríamos hacernos la siguientes preguntas: ¿Somos capaces de ser buenos y gentiles siempre? ¿Hasta qué punto podemos llegar a dominar nuestras emociones? y ¿Bajo qué circunstancias podríamos llegar a la vileza?
En conclusión, La pobre señorita Finch es: una novela interesante que te atrapa, por su narración e intriga, y que posee muy buenos personajes. Haré mención solo de uno en particular que me encantó por lo ambicioso, adulador, vanidoso y pesado que es. Me refiero al Señor Finch, el padre de Lucilla, un personaje bastante pintoresco. Dueño de una gran voz que utiliza siempre para torturar con sus discursos (que siempre iba acompañados de órdenes que impartía, generalmente, a su esposa) que nadie pedía pero que él se obstinaba en dar.
Pronto volveré a leer a Wilkie Collins y a disfrutar de una más de sus magníficas novelas.
Mi primer Wilkie Collins.
Esta el la historia de Lucilla o "La pobre señorita Finch", una joven invidente, que se verá envuelta en una serie de argucias y trampas; debido a, el amor que sienten por ella dos hermanos que harán de todo por ganar su afecto.
La trama es muy entretenida y la intriga atrapa al lector a cada página. En lo personal, me encanta la inclusión de cartas y diarios en la narración porque, todos estos elementos, nos permite conocer el punto de vista y la psicología de cada personaje, y no solo la voz de un único narrador.
Otro punto importante en todo libro son: los personaje. En el particular que nos atañe, la construcción de estos está bien lograda. No hay personajes buenos ni malos, son todos muy humanos; es decir, con todas sus cualidades y defectos, muy propensos a cometer errores y ser víctimas de sus pasiones. Bajo esta premisa bien podríamos hacernos la siguientes preguntas: ¿Somos capaces de ser buenos y gentiles siempre? ¿Hasta qué punto podemos llegar a dominar nuestras emociones? y ¿Bajo qué circunstancias podríamos llegar a la vileza?
En conclusión, La pobre señorita Finch es: una novela interesante que te atrapa, por su narración e intriga, y que posee muy buenos personajes. Haré mención solo de uno en particular que me encantó por lo ambicioso, adulador, vanidoso y pesado que es. Me refiero al Señor Finch, el padre de Lucilla, un personaje bastante pintoresco. Dueño de una gran voz que utiliza siempre para torturar con sus discursos (que siempre iba acompañados de órdenes que impartía, generalmente, a su esposa) que nadie pedía pero que él se obstinaba en dar.
Pronto volveré a leer a Wilkie Collins y a disfrutar de una más de sus magníficas novelas.
April 11, 2025
"Poor Miss Finch" by Wilkie Collins is a novel set in the late 19th century, focusing on the themes of love, human relationships, and societal judgments, particularly around the character of a blind girl named Lucilla Finch. The narrative explores her interactions with various characters, including her new companion, Madame Pratolungo, and a mysterious man named Nugent Dubourg, whose past and intentions raise questions about morality and trust.
Free download available at LibriVox
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
Free download available at LibriVox
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
May 21, 2022
Golly this was terrible.
Here's a snippet from the goodreads short bio of Collins: "...after his death, his reputation declined as Dickens' bloomed. Now, Collins is being given more critical and popular attention than he has received for fifty years."
Well, we can stop giving critical and popular attention again. The verdict is in.
He wishes he had a point of conflict for this novel. The principles in here - a woman who's been blind since age one, another woman who's the widow of a revolutionist, and a guy who escaped the hangman's noose after he was all but convicted of a crime, and has seizures as a result of being hit in the head while robbed - are now hand-wringing because the blind girl dislikes dark things.
A good slapping party could have ended this book about page 50. Get over it! *slap* You! Tell her you took silver nitrate because your stupid Victorian medicine thought it was good for seizures! *slap* Then tell her to get over your blue skin! *slap* You! Stop playing along with all their histrionics! *slap*
I mean, seriously. It's almost bad enough to enjoy hating all the characters, like a one-star horror movie, but it's not quite so bad that it's enjoyable. Plus, it's way too long to read with sustained irony.
And the guy flatters himself in the preface as a good observer of human nature! Nobody ever behaved the way these people did!
He also is a tiring and uninteresting turner of phrase.
And unable to say something other than what he means. Where Dickens or Austen would have a money-obsessed jerk like the reverend in this book talking about how a moneyless marriage prospect was disagreeable, or indolent, or anything but poor, that's beyond Collins. It's so dull.
Two small exceptions. The reverend's wife was a damp lady. He's not terribly clever about it, but it's there. And the German doctor is obsessed with mayonnaise. Kind of funny.
But I can't end with that, because the upshot is I want you leaving this review with the message Collins is terrible. So let me add he probably had Hummels adorning his house.
Here's a snippet from the goodreads short bio of Collins: "...after his death, his reputation declined as Dickens' bloomed. Now, Collins is being given more critical and popular attention than he has received for fifty years."
Well, we can stop giving critical and popular attention again. The verdict is in.
He wishes he had a point of conflict for this novel. The principles in here - a woman who's been blind since age one, another woman who's the widow of a revolutionist, and a guy who escaped the hangman's noose after he was all but convicted of a crime, and has seizures as a result of being hit in the head while robbed - are now hand-wringing because the blind girl dislikes dark things.
A good slapping party could have ended this book about page 50. Get over it! *slap* You! Tell her you took silver nitrate because your stupid Victorian medicine thought it was good for seizures! *slap* Then tell her to get over your blue skin! *slap* You! Stop playing along with all their histrionics! *slap*
I mean, seriously. It's almost bad enough to enjoy hating all the characters, like a one-star horror movie, but it's not quite so bad that it's enjoyable. Plus, it's way too long to read with sustained irony.
And the guy flatters himself in the preface as a good observer of human nature! Nobody ever behaved the way these people did!
He also is a tiring and uninteresting turner of phrase.
And unable to say something other than what he means. Where Dickens or Austen would have a money-obsessed jerk like the reverend in this book talking about how a moneyless marriage prospect was disagreeable, or indolent, or anything but poor, that's beyond Collins. It's so dull.
Two small exceptions. The reverend's wife was a damp lady. He's not terribly clever about it, but it's there. And the German doctor is obsessed with mayonnaise. Kind of funny.
But I can't end with that, because the upshot is I want you leaving this review with the message Collins is terrible. So let me add he probably had Hummels adorning his house.
September 17, 2023
OK I think Wilkie was macro-dosing on laudanum when he wrote this one, in the best way possible!!!!
It's wild, far-fetched, and melodramatic but super entertaining, funny, and charming!!
I loved all the characters, especially the narrator Madame Pratolungo who was one of the most interesting narratorial voices in a Victorian novel I've ever read! I was howling every time she went on a socialist tirade!
Although a few elements of this book probably didn't age the best, it really has it all including twins who swap places and a wandering child who delivers a message in blood!
A great read!
It's wild, far-fetched, and melodramatic but super entertaining, funny, and charming!!
I loved all the characters, especially the narrator Madame Pratolungo who was one of the most interesting narratorial voices in a Victorian novel I've ever read! I was howling every time she went on a socialist tirade!
Although a few elements of this book probably didn't age the best, it really has it all including twins who swap places and a wandering child who delivers a message in blood!
A great read!
April 29, 2020
3.5 ⭐
Un dramón muy fácil de leer, aunque siento que le sobran muchas páginas.
En éste libro conoceremos la historia de Lucilla, una joven invidente y muy bella que estará envuelta en un triángulo amoroso entre dos hermanos gemelos. La pura chisma. 🤭
Un dramón muy fácil de leer, aunque siento que le sobran muchas páginas.
En éste libro conoceremos la historia de Lucilla, una joven invidente y muy bella que estará envuelta en un triángulo amoroso entre dos hermanos gemelos. La pura chisma. 🤭
October 30, 2024
4 stars!
Collins has yet to miss. While I wouldn't consider Poor Miss Finch to be among my favorites like The Woman in White and Armadale, I had an immensely fun time reading this book. It was very intriguing to see how Collins tackles the topic of blindness within Victorian society. While I'm sure some theories and methods would now be considered outdated, Lucilla Finch's condition is treated with compassion and consideration. As this is being done Collins weaves a twisting, winding plot filled to the brim with that superb Victorian melodrama that I can't resist and had me on the edge of my seat plenty of times. Said melodrama is only fueled by a cast of characters that are not only wonderfully diverse in their personalities but lively in their temperaments.
Unlike his other famous works, Poor Miss Finch is not a tome. Therefore, I found the plot to kick in pretty fast. 100 pages hadn't even pass and several reveals and turns had already occurred.
You can't go wrong with diving into this book if you wish to get into Wilkie Collins. Be prepared for betrayals, reunions, and plenty of humor!
"Ah, with all my experience, I had yet to learn that the narrowest of human limits are wide enough to contain the grandest human emotions."
Collins has yet to miss. While I wouldn't consider Poor Miss Finch to be among my favorites like The Woman in White and Armadale, I had an immensely fun time reading this book. It was very intriguing to see how Collins tackles the topic of blindness within Victorian society. While I'm sure some theories and methods would now be considered outdated, Lucilla Finch's condition is treated with compassion and consideration. As this is being done Collins weaves a twisting, winding plot filled to the brim with that superb Victorian melodrama that I can't resist and had me on the edge of my seat plenty of times. Said melodrama is only fueled by a cast of characters that are not only wonderfully diverse in their personalities but lively in their temperaments.
Unlike his other famous works, Poor Miss Finch is not a tome. Therefore, I found the plot to kick in pretty fast. 100 pages hadn't even pass and several reveals and turns had already occurred.
You can't go wrong with diving into this book if you wish to get into Wilkie Collins. Be prepared for betrayals, reunions, and plenty of humor!
"Ah, with all my experience, I had yet to learn that the narrowest of human limits are wide enough to contain the grandest human emotions."
August 21, 2022
3 and a half stars for me. It has been years since I read a book written by Wilkie Collins. The title and cover caught my eye on Amazon and I really enjoyed this reading experience that took me back in time. It was also free in kindle format.
It is, of course, stuffed with melodrama. I didn't mind the many interruptions whilst reading as I had to keep my eyes on the sky watching for the jets participating in the air and water show that was mostly rained out today. Perhaps tomorrow we will have better luck.
It is, of course, stuffed with melodrama. I didn't mind the many interruptions whilst reading as I had to keep my eyes on the sky watching for the jets participating in the air and water show that was mostly rained out today. Perhaps tomorrow we will have better luck.
March 4, 2026
Just fantastic. I’m not typically a big fan of 19th century fiction, but this one is both delightfully entertaining and ahead of its time.
September 14, 2011
Meh.
This is a book that features a bunch of awesome characters. There's a French governess with radical Communist views, a blind girl with weirdly racist tendencies, a set of twins (one of whom has blue skin), a peculiar German oculist who won't wash and is named Grosse (tee hee hee). There's even a five-year-old girl who runs away from home at every opportunity and stands against robbers if they laugh at her.
This is typical Wilkie Collins material - charming, interesting characters against a background of mistaken identities, recovered eyesights, dashing against-the-clock rescues, and unrequited love.
The only problem is, for the first 300 pages, NOTHING HAPPENS. (How is this even possible? There is so much great material there!). Just looots of buildup.
Then something happens.
Then nothing again, then some more buildup happens, then everything happens on the last 30 pages. Then done.
They call them sensation novels for a reason, you know?
This is a book that features a bunch of awesome characters. There's a French governess with radical Communist views, a blind girl with weirdly racist tendencies, a set of twins (one of whom has blue skin), a peculiar German oculist who won't wash and is named Grosse (tee hee hee). There's even a five-year-old girl who runs away from home at every opportunity and stands against robbers if they laugh at her.
This is typical Wilkie Collins material - charming, interesting characters against a background of mistaken identities, recovered eyesights, dashing against-the-clock rescues, and unrequited love.
The only problem is, for the first 300 pages, NOTHING HAPPENS. (How is this even possible? There is so much great material there!). Just looots of buildup.
Then something happens.
Then nothing again, then some more buildup happens, then everything happens on the last 30 pages. Then done.
They call them sensation novels for a reason, you know?
December 10, 2025
4.5
👉 Argumento: En la década de 1850, en un pueblecito tranquilo y hasta aburrido, la vida de Lucilla, una joven ciega hija de un clérigo, transcurre de forma apacible… hasta que se encuentra con un joven forastero llamado Oscar del que se enamora perdidamente. Oscar es un joven y tímido caballero que fue injustamente acusado de asesinato y solo escapó de la horca gracias a la valentía y las indagaciones de su hermano gemelo, Nugent. Sin embargo, superada aquella prueba, la fatalidad espera de nuevo a Oscar en ese pueblecito, y tras ser víctima de un asalto necesitará tomar una amarga medicina. Este será el punto de partida a partir del cual, alrededor de Lucilla, se irá tejiendo una trama de mentiras piadosas y pérfidos engaños que tendrán como resultado una red de la que la joven ciega no podrá escapar sin ayuda. Una intriga doméstica de la que no saldrá indemne.
👉Collins fue, sin duda, un escritor soberbio, y este es un libro perfecto para apreciar esa genialidad. Muchas de las novelas del autor tienen, como elemento que sostiene la historia, un misterio, ya sea este un secreto pasado, la planificación de un crimen o una venganza en ciernes. Sin embargo, este libro carece de esos elementos tan intrigantes, y aun así la incertidumbre y la tensión están presentes en toda la narración: sin robos, ni asesinatos, ni planes de estafa, la historia está embebida en una intriga constante.
👉Estoy segura de que si hay algo de lo que todo el mundo disfrutará con esta lectura es de la narradora: madame Pratolungo. Me atrevería a decir que la narración en primera persona realizada por esta republicana convencida y audaz revolucionaria, que no duda en dirigirse al lector y romper la cuarta pared, es lo mejor de la novela.
En cuanto al resto de personajes, los más interesantes son los dos gemelos: ambos hombres llenos de facetas y dimensiones. Nugent y Oscar tienen unas personalidades complejas y enrevesadas, sobre todo Oscar, principal recurso con el que Collins nos mostrará cómo se puede juzgar mal a una persona por su apariencia exterior.
Lucilla, por otro lado, también tiene cualidades diversas y es tan bondadosa como iracunda, caprichosa y cabezota; ay…, lo cierto es que no llegué a tomarle aprecio.
👉 Como siempre, Collins crea una novela con la que cualquier lector o lectora puede disfrutar, pero a la vez no duda criticar a la sociedad en la que vive y en presentar diferentes temas. En este caso, destacaría el trabajo de Collins para mostrar al lector que la felicidad no es lo mismo para todo el mundo, que esta tiene diferentes formas para cada cual.
Este es un tema que va unido al de la ceguera: cómo Lucilla es una joven feliz y completa a pesar de tener lo que para muchos es una discapacidad que le impediría disfrutar del mundo. Sin embargo, su ceguera solo es otra forma de comunicarse con el mundo. No es la visión lo que la hace feliz, ni si quiera poder ver a su amor, sino otras cosas igual de importantes. Ver no tiene por qué ser su principal aspiración, ni por ser ciega tiene que ser “la pobre señorita Finch”. Además, Collins, de forma bastante adelantada a su época, aparte de intentar presentar un relato real de cómo se vive la ceguera, también habla de cómo se sienten ciertos cambios relacionados con esta y que no comentaré más para no destripar la historia.
Collins habla también de otros asuntos que rodean nuestras vidas. Uno de ellos es la mentira: toda la historia nace del engaño engendrado por una pequeña cobardía; a partir de ahí las cosas se van enredando y enredando, y el monstruo de la mentira crece y crece y se convierte en un gigante que puede devorarlo todo si no se encuentra el coraje para ponerle fin. Ya sean mentiras piadosas o engaños maliciosos, la mentira nunca conduce a nada bueno.
“¡En qué laberinto de mentiras nos había metido a todos aquella primera y fatal omisión de la verdad!”.
También es de gran importancia la confrontación que existe entre la realidad y la ilusión: el cómo nos imaginamos que serán las cosas y cómo son en realidad; cómo manejamos la desilusión de este descubrimiento; y cómo, a pesar de que las cosas no sean como las hemos imaginado y esperado, podemos vivir felizmente con la realidad, si la aceptamos.
👉Resumiendo: Un libro que combina romance e intriga con un poco de humor gracias a su magnífica narradora. No es de los libros más conocidos del autor, pero lo recomiendo.
👉 Argumento: En la década de 1850, en un pueblecito tranquilo y hasta aburrido, la vida de Lucilla, una joven ciega hija de un clérigo, transcurre de forma apacible… hasta que se encuentra con un joven forastero llamado Oscar del que se enamora perdidamente. Oscar es un joven y tímido caballero que fue injustamente acusado de asesinato y solo escapó de la horca gracias a la valentía y las indagaciones de su hermano gemelo, Nugent. Sin embargo, superada aquella prueba, la fatalidad espera de nuevo a Oscar en ese pueblecito, y tras ser víctima de un asalto necesitará tomar una amarga medicina. Este será el punto de partida a partir del cual, alrededor de Lucilla, se irá tejiendo una trama de mentiras piadosas y pérfidos engaños que tendrán como resultado una red de la que la joven ciega no podrá escapar sin ayuda. Una intriga doméstica de la que no saldrá indemne.
👉Collins fue, sin duda, un escritor soberbio, y este es un libro perfecto para apreciar esa genialidad. Muchas de las novelas del autor tienen, como elemento que sostiene la historia, un misterio, ya sea este un secreto pasado, la planificación de un crimen o una venganza en ciernes. Sin embargo, este libro carece de esos elementos tan intrigantes, y aun así la incertidumbre y la tensión están presentes en toda la narración: sin robos, ni asesinatos, ni planes de estafa, la historia está embebida en una intriga constante.
👉Estoy segura de que si hay algo de lo que todo el mundo disfrutará con esta lectura es de la narradora: madame Pratolungo. Me atrevería a decir que la narración en primera persona realizada por esta republicana convencida y audaz revolucionaria, que no duda en dirigirse al lector y romper la cuarta pared, es lo mejor de la novela.
En cuanto al resto de personajes, los más interesantes son los dos gemelos: ambos hombres llenos de facetas y dimensiones. Nugent y Oscar tienen unas personalidades complejas y enrevesadas, sobre todo Oscar, principal recurso con el que Collins nos mostrará cómo se puede juzgar mal a una persona por su apariencia exterior.
Lucilla, por otro lado, también tiene cualidades diversas y es tan bondadosa como iracunda, caprichosa y cabezota; ay…, lo cierto es que no llegué a tomarle aprecio.
👉 Como siempre, Collins crea una novela con la que cualquier lector o lectora puede disfrutar, pero a la vez no duda criticar a la sociedad en la que vive y en presentar diferentes temas. En este caso, destacaría el trabajo de Collins para mostrar al lector que la felicidad no es lo mismo para todo el mundo, que esta tiene diferentes formas para cada cual.
Este es un tema que va unido al de la ceguera: cómo Lucilla es una joven feliz y completa a pesar de tener lo que para muchos es una discapacidad que le impediría disfrutar del mundo. Sin embargo, su ceguera solo es otra forma de comunicarse con el mundo. No es la visión lo que la hace feliz, ni si quiera poder ver a su amor, sino otras cosas igual de importantes. Ver no tiene por qué ser su principal aspiración, ni por ser ciega tiene que ser “la pobre señorita Finch”. Además, Collins, de forma bastante adelantada a su época, aparte de intentar presentar un relato real de cómo se vive la ceguera, también habla de cómo se sienten ciertos cambios relacionados con esta y que no comentaré más para no destripar la historia.
Collins habla también de otros asuntos que rodean nuestras vidas. Uno de ellos es la mentira: toda la historia nace del engaño engendrado por una pequeña cobardía; a partir de ahí las cosas se van enredando y enredando, y el monstruo de la mentira crece y crece y se convierte en un gigante que puede devorarlo todo si no se encuentra el coraje para ponerle fin. Ya sean mentiras piadosas o engaños maliciosos, la mentira nunca conduce a nada bueno.
“¡En qué laberinto de mentiras nos había metido a todos aquella primera y fatal omisión de la verdad!”.
También es de gran importancia la confrontación que existe entre la realidad y la ilusión: el cómo nos imaginamos que serán las cosas y cómo son en realidad; cómo manejamos la desilusión de este descubrimiento; y cómo, a pesar de que las cosas no sean como las hemos imaginado y esperado, podemos vivir felizmente con la realidad, si la aceptamos.
👉Resumiendo: Un libro que combina romance e intriga con un poco de humor gracias a su magnífica narradora. No es de los libros más conocidos del autor, pero lo recomiendo.
February 2, 2025
"La consternación de la anciana señora cuando descubrió que yo tenía la innegable esperanza de que llegara un día en que se hiciera realidad el exterminio de los reyes y los curas, así como una redistribución general de la propiedad en todo el mundo civilizado, es imposible de expresar con palabras".
Estoy ante la obra más política y simbólica que he leído de Wilkie Collins. Escrita cuando ya había pasado su etapa gloriosa, en La pobre señorita Finch hay sensacionalismo, sí, pero también denuncia social en la figura de una joven ciega, la señorita Finch del título.
Qué puede salir mal de juntar a una socialista francesa, una joven ciega de posibles y un par de gemelos con mucho peligro? TODO. Y no por culpa de la socialista francesa, que es la única con dos dedos de frente en todo este desaguisado. Entendamos a la ciega como el pueblo inglés, los jóvenes Dubourg (uno admirador de los Estados Unidos y el otro, más viajero europeo), como las élites del mismo país y la intrépida francesa como las nuevas corrientes que están por venir y que liberarán al pueblo del yugo de los reyes y la iglesia. Me he venido un poco arriba? Puede.
La señorita Finch vive con su padre y la nueva y numerosa familia de éste en una rectoría de la campiña inglesa. Ella tiene independencia económica gracias a un familiar, vive en un ala de la rectoría sola con una vieja nodriza y está hasta la peineta de tocar el piano todo el santo día. Tanto es así, que decide contratar a alguien para que le haga unos chascarrillos, la merienda y le dé conversación. Y aquí es cuando llega Madame Pratolungo, francesa y con ideas revolucionarias. Y menos mal, porque cinco minutos después aparecen los guapos gemelos Dubourg (primero uno y después el otro) y ya la tenemos liada como sólo puede liarla el tío Collins: engaño, suplantación de identidad, fugas y una extraña operación perpetrada por el no menos extraño Doctor Grosse.
No es el Collins de su mejor época, y la historia no coge un poco de carrerilla hasta la página 300 más o menos, pero el final es apoteósico. Eso nunca se le podrá negar a Wilkie, sabe cómo acabar un libro. Y eso no se puede decir de todo el mundo.
Estoy ante la obra más política y simbólica que he leído de Wilkie Collins. Escrita cuando ya había pasado su etapa gloriosa, en La pobre señorita Finch hay sensacionalismo, sí, pero también denuncia social en la figura de una joven ciega, la señorita Finch del título.
Qué puede salir mal de juntar a una socialista francesa, una joven ciega de posibles y un par de gemelos con mucho peligro? TODO. Y no por culpa de la socialista francesa, que es la única con dos dedos de frente en todo este desaguisado. Entendamos a la ciega como el pueblo inglés, los jóvenes Dubourg (uno admirador de los Estados Unidos y el otro, más viajero europeo), como las élites del mismo país y la intrépida francesa como las nuevas corrientes que están por venir y que liberarán al pueblo del yugo de los reyes y la iglesia. Me he venido un poco arriba? Puede.
La señorita Finch vive con su padre y la nueva y numerosa familia de éste en una rectoría de la campiña inglesa. Ella tiene independencia económica gracias a un familiar, vive en un ala de la rectoría sola con una vieja nodriza y está hasta la peineta de tocar el piano todo el santo día. Tanto es así, que decide contratar a alguien para que le haga unos chascarrillos, la merienda y le dé conversación. Y aquí es cuando llega Madame Pratolungo, francesa y con ideas revolucionarias. Y menos mal, porque cinco minutos después aparecen los guapos gemelos Dubourg (primero uno y después el otro) y ya la tenemos liada como sólo puede liarla el tío Collins: engaño, suplantación de identidad, fugas y una extraña operación perpetrada por el no menos extraño Doctor Grosse.
No es el Collins de su mejor época, y la historia no coge un poco de carrerilla hasta la página 300 más o menos, pero el final es apoteósico. Eso nunca se le podrá negar a Wilkie, sabe cómo acabar un libro. Y eso no se puede decir de todo el mundo.
July 26, 2023
Well, that was a lot of plot for one book. And it's a pretty complicated, sometimes absurd plot--including good and evil twins, a mysterious unsolved robbery, a character who barely escaped being hanged for a murder he didn't commit, a blind woman who can feel colours through her fingers, a world-famous German eye doctor obsessed with food who speaks a weirdly strangled English, a French narrator who worships the memory of her dead revolutionary husband and has a sex-mad septuagenarian father in Paris she has to keep rushing off to rescue whenever the plot needs her out of the way for a while, a family of 14 small and uncontrolled children, a miraculous operation, a man whose skin turns permanently blue--really, this barely scrapes the surface of what's going on in this book. I am quite sure this is the first book I’ve ever read in which a character turning permanently blue is a major plot point. It was bonkers, but I enjoyed it, and the view of disability it offers is surprisingly nuanced.
June 17, 2020
Una linda historia en torno a una joven ciega, narrada en primera persona por su dama de compañía. Dos gemelos están enamorados de ella, uno de ellos es correspondido; en tanto que dos médicos la tratan para ver si puede recuperar la vista, a lo cual ella está muy ilusionada.
En la trama surgirán una serie de rivalidades, chantajes, calumnias y situaciones pérfidas que complicarán la vida de la joven y de los que la rodean. Hay que reconocer que las situaciones son muy predecibles, pero el final es inesperado y el libro sí vale la pena.
En la trama surgirán una serie de rivalidades, chantajes, calumnias y situaciones pérfidas que complicarán la vida de la joven y de los que la rodean. Hay que reconocer que las situaciones son muy predecibles, pero el final es inesperado y el libro sí vale la pena.
February 8, 2023
Victorian "sensation novel" about two star-crossed lovers: a blind woman (Miss Finch) and a man with physical difficulties of his own (Oscar). The plot obstacle keeping them apart was a bit hard to believe, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of the book. Great characters and compelling writing kept me fascinated with the story. This isn't the author's best novel, but it's still an entertaining book. Classic Victorian trash - but I loved it!
July 6, 2023
4/5 stars — alas, another love triangle that could have been more interesting if the girl hadn’t written off one brother from the first, but such is my luck. still quite a fun time!! the ending though omg 🥺
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
March 23, 2025
I don't even know how to describe this book, it was wild and fun and had probably one of my favourite narrators of all time in Madame Pratolungo! She was so funny! The twin dynamic in this was interesting to me as well without saying too much more! I thought this one was one of Wilkie's funniest but also emotionally compelling. You were rooting for Oscar for sure and Herr Grosse was great!
March 11, 2019
This is my least-favorite Collins to date. If you've never read him before, I urge you NOT to start with this one.**
Don't get me wrong, the prose was lovely. I'd expect nothing less from Collins, who is a master of the High Victorian style. It was an interesting book -- just not an especially fun read. Collins usually packs an excess of plot into his novels; this one, however, suffers from a lack of suspense & an over-reliance on the quirky characters.
Unfortunately, most of those characters were unappealing. I loved Madame Pratolungo (the narrator) with her communist leanings & outspoken opinions on sex & life in general; I also liked Herr Grosse, the unwashed eccentric eye surgeon with a good heart. But the remaining cast just didn't do it for yours truly. Both brothers were annoying as hell, & Lucilla was a self-centered moo with no Street Smarts whatsoever. As for her father... 🙄
From an analytical POV, I understand why Wilkie chose to buck expectations by having weak-willed heroes (or villains, depending on your reading of the text) & an unappealing heroine who looks like a Renaissance madonna but exhibits a blatantly self-centered attitude rather than the pure piousness of the Victorian heroine template. Amongst other topics (racism, preconceived judgment, passive-aggressive behavior, hypocrisy, & the over-intrusive Other that ruins one's good intentions to live their own lives unspoiled by outsiders), Wilkie clearly is using these characters to explore blindness both literal & metaphorical.
...All of which is very noble. But I still found it to be somewhat of a slog without much plot. (Sorry, Wilkie.)
**If you're new to Victorian fic (or frightened of 19th-c doorstoppers :P), I recommend beginning with either THE HAUNTED HOTEL or BASIL, as they're short, accessible, & entertaining. If you're a hardened fan of Victorian verbosity, proceed directly to THE WOMAN IN WHITE or NO NAME; both are excellent novels, sensation or otherwise.
Don't get me wrong, the prose was lovely. I'd expect nothing less from Collins, who is a master of the High Victorian style. It was an interesting book -- just not an especially fun read. Collins usually packs an excess of plot into his novels; this one, however, suffers from a lack of suspense & an over-reliance on the quirky characters.
Unfortunately, most of those characters were unappealing. I loved Madame Pratolungo (the narrator) with her communist leanings & outspoken opinions on sex & life in general; I also liked Herr Grosse, the unwashed eccentric eye surgeon with a good heart. But the remaining cast just didn't do it for yours truly. Both brothers were annoying as hell, & Lucilla was a self-centered moo with no Street Smarts whatsoever. As for her father... 🙄
From an analytical POV, I understand why Wilkie chose to buck expectations by having weak-willed heroes (or villains, depending on your reading of the text) & an unappealing heroine who looks like a Renaissance madonna but exhibits a blatantly self-centered attitude rather than the pure piousness of the Victorian heroine template. Amongst other topics (racism, preconceived judgment, passive-aggressive behavior, hypocrisy, & the over-intrusive Other that ruins one's good intentions to live their own lives unspoiled by outsiders), Wilkie clearly is using these characters to explore blindness both literal & metaphorical.
...All of which is very noble. But I still found it to be somewhat of a slog without much plot. (Sorry, Wilkie.)
**If you're new to Victorian fic (or frightened of 19th-c doorstoppers :P), I recommend beginning with either THE HAUNTED HOTEL or BASIL, as they're short, accessible, & entertaining. If you're a hardened fan of Victorian verbosity, proceed directly to THE WOMAN IN WHITE or NO NAME; both are excellent novels, sensation or otherwise.
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