Complete Works of Wilkie Collins: Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Essays and Memoirs (Illustrated): Victorian sensation: mystery, detection, and social issues

by Wilkie Collins

This carefully crafted ebook: "Complete Works of Wilkie Collins: Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Essays and Memoirs (Illustrated)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. Collins's works were classified at the time as "sensation novels," a genre seen nowadays as the precursor to detective and suspense fiction. He also wrote penetratingly on the plight of women and on the social and domestic issues of his time. Table of Contents: Introduction: Wilkie Collins' Charms (Biography by Olive Logan) Memoirs of the Life of William Collins (With Selections From His Journals and Correspondence) Novels: "I Say No" A Rogue's Life Antonina Armadale Basil Blind Love Guilty River Heart and Science Hide and Seek Jezebel's Daughter Man and Wife No Name Poor Miss Finch The Black Robe The Dead Secret The Evil Genius The Fallen Leaves The Law and The Lady The Legacy of Cain The Moonstone The New Magdalen The Two Destinies The Woman in White Novellas and Short Stories: After The Dark The Ostler Mr. Wray's Cash Box The Queen of Hearts A House To Let The Haunted House ("The Ghost in the Cupboard Room") My Miscellanies No Thoroughfare Miss or Mrs? "Blow up with the Brig!" The Hidden Cash The Perils of Certain English Prisoners The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices The Last Stage Coachman The Fatal Cradle The Frozen Deep and Other Stories The Captain's Last Love The Dead Hand The Devil's Spectacles The First Officer's Confession Farmer Fairweather Fatal Fortune Fie! Fie! Or The Fair Physician Love's Random Shot The Midnight Mass Nine O'Clock A Passage in the Life of Mr.

Genres: Classics, Fiction

16302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2011

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

[Mcf1nder_sk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the writing may seem rather archaic to 21st century readers, the stories themselves are timeless. Some of them did not hold my interest, sms were almost a chore to finish, a few, such as The Moonstone, are good reasons to believe that Wilkie Collins was actually a more famous author than his good friend Charles Dickens during their lifetimes.

[Sam Vitale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbingly brilliant.

[Jim Kellner]

A truly enjoyable collection. Pick any one. I ended up reading every one and liked them all.

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, it is not Wilkie Collins's work I am reviewing, only this particular edition. I found it contained all the most commented-on novels - the Big Four, of course, as well the rest which are not quite so famous, but interesting and compelling in their own way, and with Collins's elbow-in-the-ribs humour. More interesting was the complete list of short stories and plays (with or without collaboration), essays, letters and memoirs. The latter are of interest mostly to critics and biographers. The literary and art criticism likewise, are of value only to specialised readers.

The book has few proofing and editorial mistakes, and there are two tables of contents - a real boon, as the first lists the contents of the entire book and the second the contents of each novel separately. There is in addition, an introduction by Olive Logan and a brief biography. What I missed was an index, either alphabetical or chronological of the short stories and essays.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite authors. His characters are incredibly complex and wonderful

[Leigh Morris · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF