Miss or Mrs.?

by Wilkie Collins

'Persons possessed of sluggish livers and tender hearts find two serious drawbacks to the enjoyment of a cruise at sea. It is exceedingly difficult to get enough walking exercise; and it is next to impossible (where secrecy is an object) to make love without being found out. Reverting for the moment to the latter difficulty only, life within the narrow and populous limits of a vessel may be defined as essentially life in public.'

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Fiction, Victorian, Romance, Crime, Thriller

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1872

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

[Axl Oswaldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Wilkie Collins and it turned out to be such a fantastic experience – I truly enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover.
Miss or Mrs.? is supposed to be a sensation short novel, though I couldn't put my finger on it since I am not familiar with the genre. According to Wikipedia, a sensation novel is defined as a novel where at least one character is keeping a secret or hiding something, and as the kind of book that combines romance and realism, which are indeed the main characteristics of this story. So, let's say it is perhaps a minor sensation novel.

Miss or Mrs.? is the perfect example of a compelling, fascinating story, with a beautiful narrative—I truly loved Collins' prose—and well developed characters, even though I do believe we will find a better development of characters in his other main, huge novels (that I will definitely be reading sooner rather than later).
In this case, you literally can't put this book down, there are many things happening at once and so fast: Natalie, a wealthy, 15-year-old girl who is engaged to an older man, Richard Turlington—who went bankrupt and needs to get money from wherever he can—is also in love but with a young man, Linzie. So, with these three characters (and others who are minor yet also important), someone who is keeping a big secret as well as someone who is about to make a dangerous decision, this story has everything to hold reader's attention from beginning to end. Besides, another 'interesting' fact: a friend of mine told me Wilkie Collins is very famous for developing very evil, cruel antagonists, and he (my friend) was definitely right, I'd completely agree on that (this antagonist made me constantly feel angry and gave me the creeps at times).

Perhaps this won't be the book of your life, and yet I still believe it is worth giving it a try. Now, if you have read other Wilkie Collins novels, especially his most important books such as The Woman in White or The Moonstone, this book will probably be disappointing(?) for you. I am not quite sure though, at least for me it has been a good start on this Collins journey. In a nutshell, I would recommend Miss or Mrs.?, such an entertaining novella that I hope you also enjoy.
We'll see which Collins novel will be my next pick.

Finally, as some of my friends here on Goodreads know, I have been working on my English listening and speaking skills since 2020, and even though I have a long way to go in order for me to become a fluent speaker (as a native Spanish speaker last week I added two words to my Spanish vocabulary, so you get my point), I have done 'my homework' lately and this book somehow is the proof of that: for the first time in my life, I was able to listen to a book in English, from beginning to end, without reading the text at the same time; the fact that I was also able to understand it—of course missing some things at times—makes me realize that I'm making progress in this regard.
I'm not good at languages though, let's be honest; for years I've been struggling with English and Modern Greek, and even though I speak a little of both languages (English more than Greek) and I do love learning languages, for some reason I hadn't seen any progress and improvement in my English until now. Therefore, I do believe you are able to make a big difference with the method that suits you best.
Sorry if this last paragraph has nothing to do with the book itself, I just wanted to share with you a part of my life.

"So the average ignorance of human nature, and the average belief in conventional sentiment, complacently contemplated the sacrifice of one more victim on the all-devouring altar of Marriage!"

[Anu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so before I start with a review of this book, I'd like to make a point. I read Ann Veronica in the beginning of the year. I'm currently reading Cousin Betty. I've read Pygmalion, Little Dorrit, Great Expectations, and a whole hoard of other books written well over a century ago, that portray women as strong, independent, and extremely likeable characters. And I haven't even started with the female writers yet! So what seems to be the problem with today's writers? Why are women in modern-day romances portrayed as absolute spineless loonies? And then touted as strong, powerful women? I tried to make some sense of this, but then I got a headache, so now, here I am, still without answer. True, this isn't a book about women at all, but somehow, I felt like the point had to be made, so...

Anyway, to the book now. Richard Tur(d)lington is a singularly deplorable character; a paedophile, to be precise, who has his eyes set on the lovely Natalie Greybrooke. And her sizable (?) fortune. Ms. Greybrooke is in love with her cousin, Launce Linzie. There's a secret marriage, and blackmail, and money, and an asshole villain; the story is quite run of the mill, but the writing is sublime, orgasmic even. There is this perfect balance of humour, of seriousness, and the depth given to the characters is, much like the baby bear's porridge, just right. No element is overdone, nothing is underplayed, and long has it been since I read such an easy read.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

AROUND THE WORLD OF MYSTERY
1871 - Novella
At one time, Collins' books outsold Dickens. There is a reason: perhaps it is the bosomy ladies and naked lads?
CAST - 4 stars: Richard Turlington, Esq. is 38 and is about five feet six. "...this was a man whom it might be easy to respect, but whom it would be hard to love." A much younger Launcelot Linzie celebrates his "new" life at sea and particularly enjoys the ease of bathing: "In one instant he was out of his nightgown, in another he was on the bulwark, in a third he was gambolling luxuriously in sixty fathoms of salt water." Then there is Miss Natalie Graybrooke with her mother's warm, dusky colour...superb black hair...melting lazy lovely brown eyes. "At fifteen years of age she possessed the development of the bosom and limbs, which in England is rarely attained before twenty." She has a "profusion of physical resource." Thus the story goes: will bosomy Natalie choose Richard or the naked young bather? Or both, or neither? Collins can surely describe his characters beautifully.
ATMOSPHERE - 3: There is a ship on a shiny ocean and not much more in the first chapter. Rather, not much more than bosoms and naked bathers. An introduction tells us that Collins' intended this to be a stage play, hence the rather short atmospheric touches I think. But the touches are adequate and a bit steamy for a Victorian era read.
CRIME - 4: I'll quote the back cover: "...attempted murder, blackmail, clandestine marriage, and commercial fraud." And more!
INVESTIGATION - 3: There is a policeman or two, an attorney, but no particular personage takes the roll of an investigator. But the story itself and Collins do justice to the mystery.
RESOLUTION - 4: Nicely done, and on the original side. Oh, the rules and regulations of marriage!
SUMMARY - 3.6. If you like your melodrama fast and furious, this one's for you. Lots of fun, much is made of 'making love', Victorian style, along with some good surprises and twists. Perfect pandemic read.

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this Victorian novel of a young woman trying to escape marrying an older and brutish man. Plenty of references to her bosomy figure which given she is only 15 is a bit creepy. It has all the hallmarks of a classic with a dastardly evil fellow with a shadowy pass and a fragile financial position, a young virile hero yearning to take his beautiful bosomy cousin away, a rich estate on offer and a cast of supporting characters.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another crisp short novel from Wilkie Collins. As one who distrusts the institution of matrimony, he gives us another example of the somewhat strange Victorian marriage laws. The heroine of Miss or Mrs.?, Natalie, is fifteen years old. Her family wants her to wed Richard Turlington, a failing businessman who wants access to Natalie's father's fortune to save his hide. Natalie hates Turlington and secretly marries Launcelot Linzie, her cousin, who is unable to legally elope with her until her sixteenth birthday.

Collins is a past master of knowing how to milk a complicated plot to good effect. Well worth reading.

[MTK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Αδιάφορο, μάλλον θρίλερ;

[Marbook_gr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Υπέροχο 💕

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all what I was expecting form the title - I thought this was going to be another scottish marriage one. Actually I think it refers to what couldn't possibly be mentioned at the time, consummation....
It's a very easy read, the goodies and baddies get what they deserve - and the heroine is casually mentioned as mixed race, and IT DOESN'T MATTER. Wow, Wilkie ahead of your time as with your disabled characters. Good for you.

[Gema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un historia corta pero que amando a Wilkie Collins me atrapó desde el primer momento. Sus obras me tienen en vilo hasta que las termino, porque sus giros son increibles.

[Marianna Arvaniti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αγαπώ Κόλινς !!

[Amle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An arranged marriage, stolen kisses, financial ruin, dark pasts, and gunfire… This is what you can expect from Miss or Mrs.?

For being a story by my old friend Collins, it’s a very short one. However, the length of the story isn’t the only thing unusual.

Contrary to his usual mystery where we (usually) follow our protagonist and perhaps one or several eyewitness statements. Here we get to follow along in the thoughts and actions of our antagonist, clearly and plainly. It even made me doubt if I didn’t want the antagonist to succeed in some way, it would have made it all rather thrilling, although perhaps not a very popular choice at the time of publishing.

I can’t help thinking though how it would have been interesting to see what he could have accomplished if he had chosen his usual novel recipe. To make the Who and Why remain a hidden gem for the reader to find near the end. To add a couple of pages and take the longer path of discovery. There are still questions but of the simpler sort which makes the read more like action than drama near the finish line.

I did enjoy myself but I stick to my opinion about Collins; The longer the book, the more we are going to enjoy it.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifteen-year-old Natalie is in love with Launcelot, her delightful and adoring cousin, but her loving father is blinded to the villainy of Mr. Turlington, his long time friend and advisor who presses to marry her. Father thinks her objections to the marriage are whimsical, and due to her youthfulness. We see the villainy of Turlington compounded behind the scenes, as he seeks to secure Natalie’s fortune. He is increasingly irked by Launcelot’s ability to light up her smiles, while she remains cold toward himself. The plot thickens wonderfully as we grow in our abhorrence of the villain. I only wish the ending hadn’t been so abrupt.

[Antonio Papadourakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ομολογώ ότι δεν τον γνώριζα! Με τράβηξε το πορτραίτο του εξωφύλλου και η περίληψη στο οπισθόφυλλο. Τελικά ήταν μια γοητευτική νουβέλα γραμμένη το 1873 με τυπικές αγγλικές περιγραφές και με πλοκή που σε κρατά σε αγωνία.
'Ένας άνθρωπος θα έπρεπε, πραγματικά, τριπλά ταμπουρωμένος απέναντι στη σύγχρονη φιλοσοφία, για να μπορεί να αρνείται, ότι το πρώτο από τα δικαιώματα μιας γυναίκας είναι το δικαίωμα να είναι όμορφη, και το πρωταρχικό από τα προσόντα της, το προσόν να είναι νέα!'
'Με αυτό τον τρόπο, η τυπική άγνοια της ανθρώπινης φύσης, και η τυπική πίστη στα συμβατικά συναισθήματα, χρόνια τώρα, υπολογίζουν με απάθεια τη θυσία άλλου ενός θύματος στον αδηφάγο βωμό του γάμου!'

[Marisol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historia corta pero poderosa, con los ingredientes que le encantan al autor, argucias legales, una dama en apuros y un villano. La narración es muy inteligente, es casi como ir en un carro y sentir los acelerones, las frenadas, y las curvas pronunciadas.

[Calenmarwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short romance drama story. Not a particularly pleasant set of characters, however a satisfying end.

[April Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of his best books. Still well written with a good plot, however the characters were weak especially the heroine and the ending was abrupt.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wilkie Collins is so fun and so good at writing women who act like humans and speak to each other and have inner lives and such. Quite melodramatic but so fun!

[Bill Graf · Rating 5 out of 5]

like all collins, intriguing characters, interesting settings and twists to keep you reading.

[Mbuye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella is the epitome of a good senseless melodrama, which the Victorians seemed to have enjoyed so much. It has everything - the perfect murder (although the crime is traced to the murderer, there is no evidence left to bring him to book), blackmail, a black-hearted villain, a foolish old man and his underage, nubile daughter, an octoroon, true love and a secret elopement, an opium den, a hired assassin - it is as if Wilkie simply let his imagination drift as wildly as a Dalí painting.

One subject that is dealt with at some length is that of secret marriages of underaged girls. This is a crucial element in the plot, so much so that it explains the title. What Collins points out here is how easily a law meant to protect young women may be circumvented. A special licence cannot be obtained without parental consent, but banns can be proclaimed and the marriage performed even without a parent's consent. All it took was a change of parish and the help of a good friend. And in the days of large houses, many servants and house-parties, it was not as difficult as it might be in another age or with stricter laws.

The real miracle is that all this is compressed in such a small book; something had to go, and as usual with Collins, it is in the establishment of character. Although he gives a fair portrait of each person, the details lie more in the externals, or in a description of the character’s present state of mind (loathing, tenderness, rage, vindictiveness, or height, figure and age) rather than in any progression in their mental or moral evolution. And if there is no person with physical or mental infirmities, something which Collins handled with unusual sensitivity for a Victorian, the female lead, highly independent and determined, is a girl of colour. Again, this is a detail exceptional in Victorian literature, where the part assigned to such women is limited to mad women, or as possessing great beauty but with vicious propensities. Collins's own later novel ‘Armadale’ has a West Indian mulatto as his greatest anti-heroine.

What is missing was Collins's sense of the comic, either in the situation or the language of sly wit.

No matter. The plot is complicated enough to cover any faults of style. Just enjoy, as you might enjoy any novel by Wilkie Collins.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Τελευταία φορά που διάβασα βιβλίο του Γουίλκι Κόλινς, ήταν τον Οκτώβριο του 2020, το καλογραμμένο και ατμοσφαιρικό αλλά γενικά κάπως μέτριο "Τα παγωμένα βάθη", έτσι αποφάσισα ότι καιρός ήταν να ξαναπιάσω βιβλίο του στα χέρια μου. Όχι ένα από τα τούβλα του όμως, αλλά μια από τις νουβέλες του. Είναι το πέμπτο βιβλίο του που διαβάζω και μπορώ να πω ότι μου άρεσε πολύ. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι δεν αρχίζει και πολύ δυνατά, χρειάστηκα λίγες σελίδες μέχρι να μπω στο κλίμα της ιστορίας και να ενδιαφερθώ για έστω έναν από τους χαρακτήρες, όμως από ένα σημείο και μετά ο Κόλινς κατάφερε να με καθηλώσει, αν και αντικειμενικά δεν πρόκειται δα για ένα αγωνιώδες θρίλερ. Ωραία, ατμοσφαιρική ιστορία, που βλέπεις το κακό να έρχεται, αλλά δεν ξέρεις πότε και με ποιον τρόπο ακριβώς, με τη γραφή να είναι πολύ καλή, ευχάριστη και με την καλή έννοια παλιομοδίτικη. Ναι, πολύ μου άρεσε, αν κι εγώ είμαι από αυτούς που απολαμβάνουν τέτοιες παλιές ιστορίες μυστηρίου, δεν ξέρω και η αλήθεια είναι ούτε που με ενδιαφέρει πώς θα φανεί σε αναγνώστες που θέλουν αγωνιώδη και εύπεπτα θρίλερ. Υ.Γ. Πρέπει κάποια στιγμή να πιάσω ένα από τα τούβλα του!

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a three star plot in one star packaging: not the one pictured! Dear reader, beware of awful, cheesy public domain, independently published junk. This was not full of typos, as frequently happen, but the random spacing and the centering of every line and paragraph was maddening.

[Backoff51 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich investor who has less access to cash than would be expected wants to marry a young girl who comes from a monied family. Lots of intrigue and deception. Another very good tale from Wilkie Collins.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little story; listened on LibriVox and it was intriguing from the start with a fast paced narration from jacquerie

[Juergen John Roscher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, as of all Wilkie Collins stories, but it wasn't his best. A enjoyable short read.

[Gareth Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced if somewhat predictable melodrama which gives an insight into Victorian marriage laws. Entertaining enough

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

tipica historia d’amor previsible i curteta

[Btats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was für ein extrem passives Ende. Ansonsten war es ein Meh 😕

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Matteo Fulgheri · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst things I've ever read.

[Matina Kyriazopoulou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ενδιαφέρον, αν και όχι το καλύτερο του Κόλινς. "Μυρίζει" βικτωριανή εποχή. Αξίζει μια ανάγνωση, άλλωστε η αφήγηση κυλά πολύ γρήγορα και το τελειώνεις πριν το καταλάβεις.