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A Fatal Fortune
Also entitled, A Mad Marriage and A Sane Madman
Collins' manuscript is a short story told from the perspective of a woman who falls in love with a man suspected of being "mad." He has been subsequently disenfranchised of a large fortune by scheming executors.
Collins' manuscript is a short story told from the perspective of a woman who falls in love with a man suspected of being "mad." He has been subsequently disenfranchised of a large fortune by scheming executors.
76 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 1874
About the author
Wilkie Collins
2,240 books3,127 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 - 1 of 1 review
February 15, 2020
Die Erzählung um einen jungen Mann, der durch seine Erbschaft in massive Schwierigkeiten gerät, konnte mich auf mehreren Ebenen nicht überzeugen.
1.) Die Übersetzung wirkt vollkommen uncollinshaft und weicht erheblich vin dem Schreibstil in anderen Romanen ab. Der schludrige Satz, oft sind Wörter zusammengeschrieben, vervollständigt den schlechten Eindruck der Ausgabe.
2.) Die Geschichte wirkt auf mich wie ein Plot, an welchen Schriftsteller sich während des Schreibens entlang hangeln. Als wenn jemand eine grobe Skizze dessen erstellt hätte, was er eigentlich schreiben möchte. Normalerweise arbeitete Collins seine Figuren psychologisch sehr geschickt aus, aber dies wirkt wie die Schreibübung eines 13jährigen, und selbst der wird sich um mehr Raffinesse bemühen.
Fazit
Zum Glück war diese herbe Enttäuschung nach 30 Seiten vorbei.
1.) Die Übersetzung wirkt vollkommen uncollinshaft und weicht erheblich vin dem Schreibstil in anderen Romanen ab. Der schludrige Satz, oft sind Wörter zusammengeschrieben, vervollständigt den schlechten Eindruck der Ausgabe.
2.) Die Geschichte wirkt auf mich wie ein Plot, an welchen Schriftsteller sich während des Schreibens entlang hangeln. Als wenn jemand eine grobe Skizze dessen erstellt hätte, was er eigentlich schreiben möchte. Normalerweise arbeitete Collins seine Figuren psychologisch sehr geschickt aus, aber dies wirkt wie die Schreibübung eines 13jährigen, und selbst der wird sich um mehr Raffinesse bemühen.
Fazit
Zum Glück war diese herbe Enttäuschung nach 30 Seiten vorbei.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review