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Although the first English novel is reported to be published in the 15th Century, Wilkie Collins had a huge impact on the trade. Hi Woman in White is credited as the first mystery novel, a genre fiction that has been wildly successful and popular among readers. Wilkie, perhaps due to his legal training and his association with Charles Dickens, He had an well-developed gift for sketching his characters and telling their stories from different viewpoints.
'After Dark' is a collection of six of his short stories, each told from the viewpoint of William Kerby who traveled to paint portraits of paying customers. Kerby revealed that sitting for a painting can be tedious and that his subjects were inclined to reveal the circumstances of their lives, often including topics that they would not normally have shared.
When Kerby was prescribed eye rest by his physician, he had no way to earn a living. His wife suggested he publish the stories he had heard over the years. She took dictation so that his eyes could rest.
The result is an imaginative collection of life experiences of those living in the mid-19th century. The language and expressions can, of course, be foreign to us and make the reading a little awkward. I just stuck with it for the benefit of learning more about how people viewed life and interacted at that time. I had wondered, for example, how women and servants were viewed and those questions were soon answered.
If you are the curious sort, you may well enjoy the stories not only for their cultural revelations but also for the ingenious ways in which Wilkie created intrigue and suspense. Who knows, perhaps he reincarnated at Stephen King! ;-)
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Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries
william david jenkins
Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2015D & C M O'Brien
One of Wilkie Collins's best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2014
