Armadale by Wilkie Collins

frontispiece illustration by G.H. Thomas

Armadale

Wilkie Collins

1866

5/5 stars

The plot of this complicated novel is to difficult to convey in a few lines, yet makes perfect sense by being slowly revealed while reading.  The main premise is that the lives and fate of Miss Lydia Gwilt and two young men, both named Alan Armadale, are bound together by a single act of revenge and the evils engendered by that act.  There are many side issues that come about as a result, and other characters that feature largely, but all is central to this trio and the web of deceit, manipulation, and regret that surround them.

This Victorian melodrama is simply one of the best of the many that I've read.  Collins, who always writes well, excels in this novel at distinctive personalities, descriptive passages, and gripping situations.  I was captured from the beginning, and completely wrapped-up in the plot for the entire 30 hours of the audio book.  Collins creates sympathetic and complex characters, with believable motives, strengths and flaws.  The plot, while far-fetched, is so twisty, compelling, and enjoyable that incredulity is a nonissue.  While the book intrigues by  discussions of religion, subtle commentary on society, unpopular views of Victorian womanhood, and a question of superstition versus rationality, it ultimately satisfies with a moving ending worthy of the build-up.  I highly recommend it for fans of the genre.