内容简介
"There,inthemiddleofthebroad,brighthigh-road—there,asifithadthatmomentsprungoutoftheearthordroppedfromtheheaven—stoodthefigureofasolitaryWoman,dressedfromheadtofootinwhitegarments."ThusyoungWalterHartrightfirstmeetsthemysteriouswomaninwhiteinwhatsoonbecameoneofthemostpopularnovelsofthenineteenthcentury.Secrets,mistakenidentities,surpriserevelations,amnesia,lockedroomsandlockedasylums,andanunorthodoxvillainmadethismysterythrilleraninstantsuccesswhenitfirstappearedin1860,andithascontinuedtoenthrallreaderseversince.Fromthehero'sforebodingbeforehisarrivalatLimmeridgeHousetothenefariousplotconcerningthebeautifulLaura,thebreathtakingtensionofCollins'snarrativecreatedanewliterarygenreofsuspensefiction,whichprofoundlyshapedthecourseofEnglishpopularwriting.Collins'sothergreatmystery,TheMoonstone,hasbeencalledthefinestdetectivestoryeverwritten,butitwasthisworkthatsogrippedtheimaginationoftheworldthatWilkieCollinshadhisowntombstoneinscribed:"AuthorofTheWomaninWhite."
作者简介
WilliamWilkieCollinswasborninLondonin1824,theeldestsonofasuccessfulpainter,WilliamCollins.Hestudiedlawandwasadmittedtothebarbutneverpracticedhisnominalprofession,devotinghistimetowritinginstead.Hisfirstpublishedbookwasabiographyofhisfather,hissecondafloridhistoricalromance.ThefirsthintofhislatertalentscamewithBasil(1852),avividtaleofseduction,treachery,andrevenge.In1851CollinshadmetCharlesDickens,whowouldbecomehisclosefriendandmentor.CollinswassoonwritingunsignedarticlesandstoriesforDickens'smagazine,HouseholdWords,andhisnovelswereserializedinitspages.Collinsbroughtouttheboyish,adventuroussideofDickens'scharacter;thetwonoveliststraveledtoItaly,Switzerland,andFrancetogether,andtheirtravelsproducedsuchlightheartedcollaborationsas"TheLazyTourofTwoIdleApprentices."Theyalsosharedapassionforthetheater,andCollins'smelodramas,notably"TheFrozenDeep,"werepresentedbyDickens'sprivatecompany,withDickensandCollinsinleadingroles.Collins'sfirstmysterynovelwasHideandSeek(1853).HisfirstpopularsuccesswasTheWomaninWhite(1860),followedbyNoName(1862),Armadale(1866),andTheMoonstone(1868),whoseSergeantCuffbecameaprototypeofthedetectiveheroinEnglishfiction.Collins'sconcentrationontheseamiersideoflifedidnotendearhimtothecriticsofhisday,buthewasamongthemostpopularofVictoriannovelists.Hismeticulouslyplotted,oftenviolentnovelsarenowrecognizedasthedirectancestorsofthemodernmysterynovelandthriller.Collins'sprivatelifewasanopensecretamonghisfriends.Hehadtwomistresses,oneofwhomborehimthreechildren.Hislateryearsweremarredbyalongandpainfuleyedisease.Hisnovels,increasinglydidactic,declinedgreatlyinquality,buthecontinuedtowritebydictatingtoasecretaryuntil1886.Hediedin1889.
