Monday, 02 February 2009
Armadale by Wilkie Collins
Book Title: Armadale
Author Name: Wilkie Collins
Why I decided to read this book: Wilkie Collins is one of my favourite authors, and I've had this book for a while now, so decided to read as my last book of last year's reading marathon.
Summary: Set in the mid-1800s, the story revolves around two friends who, unbeknownst to one of them, share two things: the name Alan Armadale, and a dreadful secret involving their two fathers. Despite the best efforts of the one who knows the truth, the secret from their past threatens to destroy their future - in the form of the beautiful, scandalous Lydia Gwilt...
Strengths: I cannot praise Wilkie Collins' writing highly enough - he knows how to write a good suspense novel! He also knew how to use what was then new technology, such as the penny post and the telegraph, to good effect. He makes the whole story so vivid, and I found I really cared about the characters - even though I knew that one of them had to die, I was really touched by the death scene. Also, the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat as I read the story!
Weaknesses: I enjoyed the whole book from beginning to end... except for the epilogue, which I felt was rather unnecessary. But then, people like to have stories neatly tied up, so its hardly surprising that Collins included this to keep his readers happy. I, however, felt that the last few paragraphs of the last chapter "The Purple Flask" were such a superb conclusion of that suspenseful chapter, that the epilogue was just an anticlimax.
Overall Opinion: A deeply fascinating story that kept me guessing right to the end.
Rating out of Five: 
