The Woman in White is my first novel by Wilkie Collins and I found it a very gripping read, it took me less than two weeks to finish this brick of a book. It's quite an intriguing mystery and I think that it stikes a good enough balance between melodrama and moderate plausibility. I enjoyed the big cast of characters but I agree with some other reviews saying that Laura paled compared to her sister Marian in terms of personality and depth (even if poor Marian was depicted in a very unfavourable way).

I have to admit that the chapters set at Blackwater Park were a bit difficult to go through, given all the misery and abuse directed at the female characters, it made for a very bleak reading experience. However, the story was wrapped up neatly and in a satisfying way.

I wasn't expecting the vicious fatphobia that permeates the entire novel so I was quite taken aback and it really dampened my overall enjoyment.