El dinero de Milady

by Wilkie Collins

Ha tenido lugar un robo en la mansión de Lady Lydiard y todas las sospechas apuntan a Isabel Millar, su hija adoptiva. El Sr. Troy, abogado de Milady, va a ocuparse del caso, pero Robert Moody, administrador de la noble dama, prefiere contratar a un viejo y andrajoso timador. ¿Quién resolverá el misterio de la desaparición de las quinientas libras, el avispado abogado o el astuto y viejo Sharon?

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Fiction, Victorian, British Literature, Ebooks, Novels

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1879

About the author

Wilkie 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.

Reviews

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo romanzo scritto da Wilkie Collins [1824-1889] nel 1877 quando era già uno scrittore affermato e benvoluto, appartiene a quel genere letterario del quale egli venne successivamente definito “Il Padre”: mi riferisco al romanzo poliziesco. In realtà siamo ben lontani dal poliziesco come lo intendiamo oggi perché questo “Il Denaro della Mia Signora” è innanzitutto un classico romanzo ottocentesco in cui i sentimenti dei personaggi e la loro evoluzione, lo studio dell’animo umano, l’atmosfera e la descrizione degli ambienti conta infinitamente di più della soluzione dell’enigma e lo stesso lettore scorrendo le pagine pone in secondo piano lo scioglimento dell’indagine e viene più interessato da altre incognite di natura personale e affettiva. Leggere questo romanzo significa apprezzare al massimo grado il piacere di una buona lettura grazie a un autore che come pochi sa sondare l’anima dei suoi personaggi, mettendone a nudo nobiltà d’animo e grettezza, generosità ed egoismo. Infine un’opera che lungi dall’essere considerata “minore” non ha nulla da invidiare a romanzi più voluminosi come “La Donna in Bianco” o “La Pietra di Luna”.

[Dafne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pubblicato in Italia anche con il titolo “Il denaro della mia signora”, Il denaro di Lady Lydiard è un romanzo breve di Wilkie Collins pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1879.
Il romanzo si apre nella casa di Lady Lydiard dove gli abitanti sono in pieno fermento per via del malore di Tommie (con la e finale mi raccomando!) il piccolo e viziato cagnolino della padrona di casa. Mentre tutti gli abitanti della casa sono distratti da questa situazione, “sparisce” una banconota da 500 sterline. Al momento del furto, assieme alla padrona di casa, sono presenti la giovane Isabel Miller, la dama di compagnia, Felix Sweetsir, il nipote arrivato all'improvviso in visita alla zia che non lo vedeva da molto tempo; Robert Moody, il fedele segretario e amministratore di Lady Lydiard ed infine il nobile Alfred Hardyman, chiamato per trovare un rimedio per il malore di cui soffre l'amato cagnolino.
La prima ad essere sospettata del furto è la giovane Isabel; la padrona di casa però è sicura che si tratti di un errore ma le convenzioni sociali dell'epoca vogliono che la ragazza sia allontanata da casa fino a quando non si farà luce sulla vicenda. A non credere alla sua colpevolezza è anche Robert Moody, innamorato di lei, che insieme al “vecchio Sharon”, un avvocato caduto in disgrazia con velleità da detective, indagherà finché non riuscirà a trovare il vero colpevole...

Dopo la deludente esperienza con “Armadale” grazie a questo breve romanzo posso dire di essermi riappacificata con Collins; la sua lettura, infatti, è stata una piacevole esperienza.
Privo di tutte le artificiosità tipiche dei romanzi più corposi e della pubblicazione a puntate, Il denaro di Lady Lydiard ha tutte le caratteristiche e lo stile inconfondibile delle opere più famose dello scrittore inglese.
Anche se il mistero del furto è abbastanza prevedibile (lo si intuisce sin dalle prime pagine chi può essere il vero colpevole) il lettore resta incollato dalla prima all'ultima pagina, seguendo i vari colpi di scena, per conoscere la risoluzione del mistero.
Il vero punto di forza di questa breve opera secondo me è l'interazione dei personaggi e la loro splendida caratterizzazione, curata fin nei minimi particolari da Collins; lo si può notare dalla scelta del nome dei personaggi, dalla descrizione del loro aspetto fisico o anche dal loro modo di muoversi e parlare. Alcuni personaggi sono molto divertenti e hanno tratti caricaturali, pittoreschi e grotteschi, basti pensare al “vecchio Sharon” o a Lady Lydiard.
Il denaro di Lady Lydiard è un romanzo piacevole, avvincente e divertente dalla trama semplice e lineare in cui non mancano ironia, suspense e anche una velata critica dei costumi sociali; un'opera che oscilla tra vari generi, dalla commedia al giallo fino a quello sentimentale senza mai diventare drammatico.
Insomma un romanzo breve, scorrevolissimo e che si legge con piacere.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, late, fast-paced novella from Wilkie Collins. Highly entertaining.

[Agnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una piacevolissima lettura del “padre “ del poliziesco vittoriano.
In attesa di rileggere
gli altri bei romanzi di W. Collins, grazie all’amico @Sergio per questo ottimo consiglio.
Una boccata d’ossigeno fra tante ciofeche e polizieschi violenti che evito molto volentieri.

[Linda K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Wilkie Collins. As a friend of the well-known Charles Dickens, I think he did was a bit overshadowed by him.

This is a delightful tale of a woman of means who becomes the victim of the theft of a 500 pound note in her home. There are a number of possible suspects and she obtains help in persuing the perpetrator. She retains a young girl as her companion and as she is of much lower rank and may be looked on as the possible thief, she is sent away to her Aunt, Miss Pink, to live until the manner is resolved.

The book is full of colorful characters and the action is fun and such an interesting look at the times of the mid to late 1800's England.

[Gwynplaine26th · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lungi dall'essere uno dei migliori Collins, l'autore dà voce ad alcuni personaggi estremamente divertenti, atti ad interazioni che vanno a compensare sia la prevedibilità "mistery" sia la semplicità del complotto romantico. Tuttavia con Collins raramente scendo sotto le 4 stelline, ogni sua lettura un viaggio prezioso 🎩

[Karolina Kownacka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

[Michelle's Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Lady’s Money is a novella written by British author Wilkie Collins and published in the late 1870s. Collins is most known for The Woman in White, one of my most favorite novels, which has been made into a TV series by the BBC premiering on PBS this Sunday.

My book was printed for me on demand by Amazon in 2017. I have just recently gotten around to reading it and was disappointed to find that while the cover is correct, unfortunately the book inside is not My Lady’s Money, it’s a different book named A Canadian Heroine Volume 1, which happens to be another book published in the 1870s. But the good news is that My Lady’s Money is free to read or listen to online at Gutenberg.org and Librivox.org, and it’s also free on Kindle, so even though I don’t have the physical book in my library, I was able to read it.

What I like about this book is that it’s short, it’s written in typical Wilkie Collins style and includes a mystery. The mystery in this case is: who has taken Lady Lydiard’s 500 pound note from an unsealed envelope that was intended for charity? She sends her adopted daughter, Isabel, to seal the envelope. And when it’s revealed that the 500 pound note is missing, Isabel becomes the primary suspect. Lady Lydiard employs Mr. Troy, a lawyer to investigate. During the investigation, Isabel gets a clearer understanding of Alfred Hardyman’s character and wishes she had seen his angry reactions before she had decided to marry him. And Robert Moody, Lady Lydiard’s steward, does his own investigation.

We get a glimpse of romance and the class system in Victorian England as the characters work through the possible suspects. For all you dog lovers, this is the Wilkie Collin’s book for you and one of the first books of his that I’ve read with a significant canine role, which made it extra special for me, since I have owned and loved a Scottish Terrier. Tommie is Lady Lydiard’s Scottish Terrier, and he has as large a role as some of the main characters.

There aren’t a lot of characters to keep straight in the story, and a few are humorously exaggerated and quirky, like Miss Pink. At times the story is so focused on characterization and the social scene of Victorian England that you might wonder when it’s going to get back to the plot.

If you’re a frequent reader or watcher of Book Club Review, then you know that I’m huge a Wilkie Collins fan and I’m planning to read all his books. If you’re like me and looking for a short, fun read like My Lady’s Money, then find your quiet place and start reading or listening.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

Opening line:
OLD Lady Lydiard sat meditating by the fireside, with three letters lying open on her lap.

Page 6:
"I hate the very name of them! A person who is near enough to me to be my relation and far enough off from me to be my sweetheart, is a double-faced sort of person that I don't like.

Page 60:
"You will admit, madam," Mr. Troy answered cautiously, "that we are all of us liable, in this wicked world, to be the victims of appearances.

The plot involves a mystery about a banknote for 500 pounds which has been stolen from Lady Lydiard out of an unsealed letter. Entwined with this main plot there is a love story involving Isabel, beloved companion of Lady Lydiard and two men who fight for her love.

Despite this book is not so famous as the other works by this author, the plot pictures quite the Victorian style of life and the mystery involved in this story.

3* The Woman in White
4* The Moonstone
4* Who Killed Zebedee?
4* The Dead Alive
4* Mrs. Zant and the Ghost
3* A Fair Penitent
4* The Frozen Deep
4* The Haunted Hotel
4* The Law and the Lady
4* No Name
3* My Lady's Money
TBR Poor Miss Finch
TBR Blind Love
TBR The Dead Secret
TBR Armadale

About Wilkie Collins: Wilkie Collins: A Critical and Biographical Study by Dorothy L. Sayers

[Wendy B. ☃️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breve romanzo che si muove abilmente tra i generi giallo e romance rimanendo sul soft in entrambi i casi. Lady Lydiard si ritrova a fare una donazione anonima di 500 sterline ad un parente bisognoso. Tuttavia, lascia i soldi sul tavolo del salotto e si reca in un’altra stanza per accudire il cane malato. La busta contenente il denaro viene spedita, ma dopo poco tempo arriva la risposta del parroco (destinatario della donazione) che dice di aver trovato la busta vuota. Chi ha preso il denaro di lady Lydiard? I sospetti cadono su Isabel Miller, cameriera alla quale la padrona di casa è affezionata come ad una figlia, sebbene nessuno la creda capace di rubare. La ragazza, pur trovandosi in un clima di fiducia nei suoi confronti, decide ugualmente di allontanarsi dal posto di lavoro per trasferirsi in campagna da una zia finché i sospetti su di lei non saranno caduti. E fin qui c’è il giallo.

C’è da dire, però, che l’amministratore delle finanze di lady Lydiard, Robert Moody, è innamorato cotto di Isabel e vuole salvarla a tutti i costi. Decide, quindi, insieme all’avvocato della signora, di indagare sulla misteriosa scomparsa del denaro interpellando “Il vecchio Sharon”, un ex avvocato radiato dall’albo capace di risolvere qualsiasi mistero meglio della polizia. E qui inizia il romance. Se, poi, il giorno in cui scompaiono i soldi, arriva in casa un uomo avvenente esperto di cavalli e animali (chiamato per curare il cagnolino) che, con una certa faccia tosta, fa a capire ad Isabel di essere attratto da lei, la minestra è servita. Quale dei due spasimanti sceglierà la ragazza? Quello che la vuole sposare o quello che la vuole salvare (e sposare)? E, soprattutto, che fine hanno fatto quelle 500 sterline?

Stile divertente e ottocentesco condito da frasi incredibili del tipo “ragionava come una donna”; personaggi appassionati che non si daranno pace MAI se non avranno riscattato l’onore della ragazza e un finale che, per un verso, è quello che ci si aspetta e, per l’altro, no. Bravo zio Wilkie!
Unica pecca dell’edizione, i refusi. Se ne incontrano diversi soprattutto nella seconda parte del romanzo.

[Miku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Akcja powieści rozgrywa się w domu lady Lydiard, która jest kobietą bogatą, ale zarazem przejawia spore skąpstwo. Ma do dyspozycji zarządcę Roberta Moody'ego, który dba o interesy swojej pani, służbę i damę do towarzystwa - młodą, piękną, opiekującą się psem w podeszłym wieku, Isabel Miller. Robert Moody kocha się w Isabel, ale problemem staje się wiek tej dwójki, ponieważ mężczyzna mógłby być ojcem dziewczyny, więc ona odrzuca jego zaloty.

W wyniku pewnych wydarzeń, których nie będę tu przytaczać, kobieta chciała anonimowo ofiarować datek 500 funtów. Przygotowała list, pieniądze zapakowała, ale nie zamknęła koperty, a sytuacja zmusiła ją do odejścia od pulpitu przy którym pisała. Ostatecznie, jak można odgadnąć, pieniądze zaginęły, a oskarżenie pada na Isabel, która miała zapieczętować kopertę.

Moody nie przyjmuje tego do wiadomości i zrobi wszystko, by udowodnić, że jego ukochana jest niewinna.

Ta krótka historia przypadła mi do gustu i na pewno będę chciała wkrótce poznać kolejną powieść tego autora. Fabularnie było w porządku, ale zagadka zaginionego banknotu w zasadzie nie nastręczała trudności i można było już na początku książki wskazać kto ten banknot skradł. To było tak oczywiste, że osoba niezaprawiona w rozwiązywaniu zagadek od razu trafi. Oprócz wątku detektywistycznego pojawia się dosyć spory wątek romantyczny, ponieważ dwóch panów będzie konkurować o rękę Isabel, jedna ciotka będzie za małżeństwem, z jednym z kandydatów, druga przeciw, a w międzyczasie pojawi się sprytny pies, który dostarczy dowodów na niewinność swojej ulubionej opiekunki.

Zostawiam niższą ocenę niż pierwotnie chciałam dać. Spowodowane to jest z tym, że wątek detektywistyczny w tej powieści kompletnie leży i w zasadzie autor zmusił mnie, żeby skupić się wyłącznie na tej romantycznej otoczce, z czego tutaj również było wiadomo jak się to zakończy. Nie zmienia to faktu, że powieść była przyjemna, krótka i zgrabnie napisana.

[Lobo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Z jednej strony wkurzam, że opowiadanie wydano jako osobną książkę, żeby naciągać odbiorców na kasę, z drugiej byłam bardzo ciekawa, jak Wilkie sprawdza się w krótkiej formie, skoro ma raczej XIX-wieczną tendencję do mnożenia stron. I muszę powiedzieć, że - meh. Znowu, z jednej strony mamy typowe dla niego motywy - ekscentryczna dama, która nie zważa na konwenanse i role płciowe; detektyw-geniusz-outsider; mężczyzna gotowy z miłości zrobić wszystko, tym bardziej, że dzięki temu zrehabilituje się w oczach damy... Z drugiej strony - intryga jest prosta jak budowa cepa, postaci trochę nietrafione (Isabela trafiła pomiędzy dwóch "nice guys" i ojejku, jak ja jej współczułam tego męskiego nonsensu), aż się zastanawiam, czy dla Wilkiego to też był skok na kasę, bo ewidentnie nie pisał tego z miłości do literatury.

Najlepszą postacią jest pies. Pies - Tommie - kocha Isabel. Żaden z kandydatów o jej serce nie lubi Tommiego. To wam mówi wszystko, co trzeba wiedzieć o ich charakterach.

W każdym razie intryga jest prosta, bo opiera się nie na zagadce intelektualnej, ale na społecznych uprzedzeniach, jakoby dżentelmen nie mógł być złodziejem, co jest śmieszne dla współczesnych odbiorców, kiedy już wiemy, że arystokracja to klasa społecznych pasożytów przepuszczających efekty cudzej pracy na lewo i prawo. Myślę, że Wilkie też był tego świadomy i dobrze to jednak sportretował, nie nazywając nigdy problemu wprost. Czytelnik też od początku wie, kto jest złodziejem i dlaczego, nawet jeśli przez sekundę narracja próbuje zbić nas z tropu (wtedy, gdy podejrzewamy, że może jednak Wilkie wykombinował coś zmyślnego i ciekawego, czego się nie spodziewamy, ale nie. Nie.).

Szybkie do przeczytania w jedno deszczowe popołudnie. Stary Sharon wchodzi od galerii cudaków-geniuszy Wilkiego. Razem ze swoim mopsem.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se trata de una historia corta, de trama sencilla y final predecible, donde vemos representadas las costumbres victorianas acerca de la cuna y el abolengo, del sistema de clases en la Inglaterra victoriana.

Se puede decir que la trama consiste en la investigación del robo de un dinero de Lady Lydiard, del que es acusada su hija adoptiva, la joven y bella Isabel. El padre de Isabel era un rico banquero arruinado, por lo que la joven no puede aspirar a un buen matrimonio. La investigación es realizada por el mayordomo y el abogado de Lady Lydiard, pero no es difícil para el lector “adivinar” desde el comienzo quién es el culpable del robo. Entrelazada con esta trama principal hay una historia de amor que involucra a Isabel y dos caballeros que luchan por su amor.

Es una novela que se lee bien debido a la bonita prosa en que está redactado, el estilo típico de Wilkie Collins. Me ha gustado porque me resulta novedoso en una novela de la época victoriana que el tema sea la investigación de un misterioso robo.

Mi valoración es de 3 estrellas.

[Shreyas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple plot. There was absolutely no need to rack the brain to identify the culprit. I treaded along merely for the prose and style of writing, which is a contrast to the books that I usually read. The haunted hotel by Wilkie Collins had a slightly more non-trivial plot and having read that before this I'm inclined to give this 3 stars. I should probably read more of Wilkie Collins works before I make up my mind about him.

[Anna Plishak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Перед нами легкий романтичний детектив. Ім'я злочинця стає очевидним з перших сторінок для читача. А от персонажам заважає роздивитися своєчасно істину його благородне походження. Тому починається розслідування, завдяки якому поєднуються два люблячі серця.
⠀
Дивні персонажі, передбачувані події, банальні діалоги зовсім не псують книгу, радше — стають її родзинкою, що робить повість гарним компаньйоном на декілька зимових вечорів.

[denudatio_pulpae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Młoda dziewczyna, Isabel, zostaje oskarżona o kradzież. Zakochany w niej Moody* postanawia za wszelką cenę udowodnić jej niewinność. Niestety, na horyzoncie pojawia się bogaty i utytułowany kandydat na męża, z którym biedny zarządca nie ma szans konkurować. Czy sprawa podejrzenia o przestępstwo będzie stanowić przeszkodę dla dziewczyny, aby poprzez korzystne zamążpójście znaleźć się w wyższych sferach? A może uda się jakoś tę sprawę utrzymać w tajemnicy do dnia ślubu?

Krótka, przewidywalna, ale mimo to urocza historyjka dziewczyny, która okazała się całkiem rozsądna. I chwała jej za to, bo nie ma dla mnie niczego gorszego, niż czytanie o głupich dziewuchach ;)
*szkoda, że nie Alastor, wtedy pewnie szybciej rozwiązaliby zagadkę
6/10

[Sabrina Inserra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Lanfear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta es la primera vez que pruebo a leer algo de Willkie Collins, de hecho esta lectura ha sido fruto de pura casualidad. Mi lectura del quinto libro del Amanecer Rojo me estaba desgastando emocionalmente y he pensado en recargar un poco las pilas, estaba entre este libro y un libro de terror ambientado también en la época victoriana que lo dejaré para más adelante este año.
En lo referente a este libro en concreto, no voy a hacer un resumen de la trama sino que voy a dejar constancia de mi opinión y nada más.
Esta bien escrito, esta lleno de intriga, humor y amor, los personajes pueden parecer un poco simples o breves pero con cada página se desentrañan sus personalidades y al final tienes la sensación de que es una de esas novelas que a veces deberías leer para relajarte de la lecturas que exigen más.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short novel with great characters. The mystery and the plot are pretty simple. I enjoyed reading it. A really good illustration of how a woman can let herself get roped into things she does not want- even marriage to a rich and bullying man. Luckily, she escaped before it was too late! Yay! Society should take a lesson here as well and not serve as a hammer to slam a round individual into a square raw deal.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stagy in the extreme, right down to the character names, and more interesting as an early example of a cozy mystery than a cozy mystery. But if you are a sucker for perfunctory Victorian romance subplots you will have three stars for it lying around. Quick read and shows Collins in good form once the characters have been introduced and no longer appear on stage one at a time.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been "Wilkie Collins Discovery Week" for me. I read his Woman in White a few years ago, but it never occurred to me that I might enjoy so many of his other tales of Victorian mystery as well. Mr. Collins was a good friend of Charles Dickens -- and now I love them both.

[Jocelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilkie Collins is amazing. This is a funny, charming book — a novella that manages to be a mystery folded into a romance wrapped around an expose on the sins of (some of) the upper-class. And all in the most wonderful language. Great fun!

[Dana Loo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parte "gialla" abbastanza prevedibile ma la storia si legge con piacere. Traduzione dignitosa. La valutazione più corretta sarebbe 3,5 stelline, ma trattandosi di Collins si arrotonda per eccesso...

[Mbuye · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short detective novella. While it doesn't carry the same weight as his great later novels, this is an attempt to discover the thief of a £500/- banknote by means of character alone. Collins, whose weakness usually lay in the portraiture of his actors, for once overcomes this weakness. The plot is simple: which of five people abstracted a banknote from its envelope before its despatch? The five people are the widow of a peer, her nephew, her gentleman-steward, her companion and a visitor, the youngest son of a Duke, who runs a stud-farm and has come by invitation to look at an ailing lapdog and give it the benefit of his professional experience. Collins gives us the deductions leading to the explanation in one chapter, without going into detail about the investigation.

Apart from the confusing red herrings of suspicions on the wrong person, an unnecessary love triangle, a couple of thoroughly poisonous women and a lapdog badly in need of training, there is nothing else. The steward goes doggedly forward to prove the girl's innocence, the stud-owner goes doggedly forward to woo and win the girl, the nephew goes doggedly abroad for his health.

The genius here is in the swift caricature strokes with which each character is painted. Accordingly we meet one of the most endearing scoundrels in the Wilkie canon, ‘Old Sharon,’ a disbarred lawyer turned professional private eye. He is gross, grossly fat and grossly unwashed, a smoker and outrageously expensive. For a guinea, you get half an hour of his time and his professional advice, based on the information given during that half hour. For real value, for information based on his own observations, and even evidence that is enough to point to the right thief, his charges are ten pounds. The lawyer in whose case the matter is given for a solution, expresses himself content with the guinea opinion, which is, ‘Look for the least likely person.’

A delightful treat, although no great shakes as a detective novel.

[Albus Eugene Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore · Rating 4 out of 5]

«...appena sarai sprofondato nella lettura non ci sarà più verso di smuoverti.».
Calvino, nell’incipit al suo Se una notte d’inverno un viaggiatore, così si rivolgeva al lettore: «Prendi la posizione più comoda: seduto, sdraiato, raggomitolato, coricato. Coricato sulla schiena, su un fianco, sulla pancia. In poltrona, sul divano, sulla sedia a dondolo, sulla sedia a sdraio, sul pouf. Sull’amaca, se hai un’amaca. Sul letto, naturalmente, o dentro il letto. Puoi anche metterti a testa in giù, in posizione yoga. Col libro capovolto, si capisce [...] Regola la luce in modo che non ti stanchi la vista. Fallo adesso, perché appena sarai sprofondato nella lettura non ci sarà più verso di smuoverti.».(1)
E questi, tutti parenti stretti...
• 1841 - THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE - Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
• 1887 - A STUDY IN SCARLET - Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)
• 1887 - IL DENARO DELLA MIA SIGNORA - Wilkie Collins (1824–1889)
• 1893 - THE MILLION POUND BANK NOTE - Mark Twain (1835–1910)
• 1895 - THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
• 1989 - THE REMAINS OF THE DAY - Kazuo Ishiguro (1954)
E tanti altri ne avrò sicuramente dimenticato o semplicemente, mai incontrati.
Infine, parafrasando lo stesso Autore... non resta altro che dire addio (con molta costernazione da parte del sottoscritto) ai Personaggi della storia.
Grazie @Sergio!
(1) Italo Calvino (1923-1985), Se una notte d’inverno un viaggiatore (1979), citato da Laura Chiara Spinelli nella sua Introduzione a questo libro. Introduzione davvero molto interessante che però, come al solito, credo sia preferibile leggere dopo aver letto il libro.

[Fiori di Carta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cosa potrebbe sconvolgere di più una vedova dell'alta borghesia inglese di vedere il suo cagnolino rischiare la vita e scoprire, lo stesso giorno, che qualcuno ha rubato del denaro in casa sua?
E chi, se non Wilkie Collins, potrebbe costruirci sopra una storia avvincente?
Lady Lydiard è talmente in apprensione per il suo piccolo Tommie da non accorgersi neanche chi sia stato a rubare la banconota da 500 sterline lasciata incustodita. I maggiori sospettati, presenti in casa al momento del furto, sono la sua dama di compagnia Isabel Miller, il maggiordomo Robert Moody, suo nipote Felix Sweetsir e il nobile Alfred Hardyman.
Comincia così la caccia al ladro, resa difficile dal triangolo amoroso tra Moody, Isabel e Hardyman. Alla fine, tra innumerevoli colpi di scena, si scoprirà il colpevole!
La penna di Collins non risparmia nessuno, sempre piena di sottile ironia verso quella borghesia bigotta dell'epoca vittoriana che pensa solo alle apparenze. Nasce proprio così il suo Sensation Novel, un genere creato per stupire e lasciare con il fiato sospeso ma anche per criticare le usanze del tempo. Sotto sotto i crimini e gli scandali accadono anche in casa dei ricchi, non solo nei ceti inferiori!

[Nuria Carreras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tres relatos policíacos para la segunda casilla de la rayuela del #bicentenariowilkiecollins organizado por @raquel.lectora

✒️Milady's money, publicado por primera vez como My Lady's Money. An episode in the life of a young girl' Illustrated London News LXXI Nos 2005-2006 Christmas 1877, and in book form with The Haunted Hotel 1879

✒️ The story of the biter bit, publicado por primera vez como Who is the Thief' Atlantic Monthly, I, April 1858

✒️ The story of Anne Rodway, publicado por primera vez como The Diary of Anne Rodway' Household Words XIV Nos.330-331 19, 26 July 1856

Como siempre, he disfrutado muchísimo del ingenio del maestro Collins 🙌

#miladysmoney #eldinerodemilady #thestoryofthebiterbit #cazadorcazado #thestoryofannerodway #wilkiecollins #literaturavictoriana #britishclassic #leoclásicos #leeresvivir #leermola #libros #bookstagramespaña

[Tina Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy Wilkie Collins, I think you'll enjoy this novel. I enjoyed it for its cast of characters and Victorian setting. It's a bit of a mystery and a bit of a love story set in London and the countryside of England. There is a hero and a lady in distress, with the class conscious British mores are on full-display. It's a genre I adore.

There is great dialogue, and interestingly bloodletting performed on a sick dog. I thought the by the mid-19th century that practice had ceased, but perhaps it still survived for animals. This is one of the benefits of reading older literature -- you learn so much about how people lived in the past.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable little story with good humour and some entertaining characters.

The plot revolves around a theft, upon which the suspicion falls on an honest young woman. This woman, named Isabel, is a companion of Lady Lydiard. My Lady never suspects Isabel for one second but feels it's wise for her to move in with her aunt for a spell until the matter clears up. Lady Lydiard soon regrets this, however, as she misses her greatly, so she visits Isabel at her aunt’s home.

Isabel’s aunt, Miss Pink, is one of those characters who are annoying in real life but highly amusing in fiction. She has a similar personality to Lady Lydiard, yet the two don't get along, which results in some humorous exchanges.

The mystery aspect to the story isn’t particularly mysterious. The thief could only be one of four people, two of which I ruled out at once. As the narrative progressed, it became clear my first guess was wrong, meaning my second couldn’t fail to be right, so the eventual revelation was no surprise. Despite this, it in no way spoiled the outcome.

I’ve read a few Wilkie Collins books now and this one I rate among his best. I can only fault him on certain style issues, though it’s only fair to make some allowances when considering this is a product of the 1870s.

I believe in some cases, perhaps all, that writers of this period were paid by the word. This might explain why Collins used three or four adjectives at a time in several instances, such as: ‘his large, cold, steady grey eyes,’ which creates clunky sentences.

One of my favourite quotes is when Alfred Hardyman comes to check on Lady Lydiard’s sick dog. Before attending to the canine, he meets Isabel, who proves a rather pretty distraction, as this quote relates:

‘When a man is fascinated by the charm of youth and beauty, he is in no hurry to transfer his attention to a sick animal in a bath.’

Overall, then, this is a good read.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable, easy to read story. The characters are interesting and unique. It has humor sprinkled all through, class snobbery, stolen money (the criminal is not too difficult to pinpoint, but it’s fun watching everyone run around with their pet theories), a perfect love story woven in throughout, and a very smart and delightful dog named Tommy. First published in 1879. I listened to this book as a free download from LibriVox.org.