Customer Reviews

Basil

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Wilkie Collins came to fame with 'The Woman in White', followed by a succession of 'suspense' novels which are his trademark. 'Basil' is an earlier yet surprisingly mature work, and it is not a suspense novel. 'Basil' chronicles the life of a young, foolish man who falls in love (literally) at first sight with a young woman. He then discovers, too late, that this 'sweet young thing' is not as she first appeared. The author captures Basil's anguish perfectly. While some people might find the entire story to be a bit contrived, I found the emotional element of writing to greatly outweigh this 'love at first' kitsch.

So in conclusion, 'Basil' should have a wider appeal beyond the Wilkie Collins fan club. Folks who love mid-Victorian writing will find much to enjoy with 'Basil'.

After reading The Woman in White, A Rogue's Life, and attemting The Moonstone, I picked up Basil. Basil's story was more absorbing than any of the other books and my sympathies were entirely with him. I felt his betrayal and utter dejection. If only I could have been his friend!

Basil is a naive sap that any woman wish would fall for her! He completely falls in love with a woman who is only interested in his money but of course, he is blind to that....sounds like a silly romance novel, which I loathe, BUT because it was written in the 1800's, there are descriptive characters, fabulous use of the English language. Collins makes me love mysteries and romance, neither of which type book I read if written in "today's" time. Love every single book of his that I have read, six so far and counting.....

I have read many novels by Wilkie Collins including: The Woman in White,The Moonstone, No Name and Armadale. Most of these works involve some mystery surrounding a woman. This novel is no exception.

The novel begins years after a tragic event has changed the life of a young man named Basil. The readers learn that the doors of his home are forever closed to him. He will never see his father again. And he will never see his beloved sister, Clara, again.

Basil begins to recount the events that lead to a life changing event, which caused him to lose all that he once held dear. These events were set in motion the minute he met Margaret Sherwin.

Basil's enchantment with the dark and beautiful Margaret happened when they met by chance on an omnibus. Basil was so stricken by her beauty that he followed the beautiful stranger home and with the help of a family servant managed to coax his way into Margaret's life.

The Sherwin family were simple shop keepers. Mr Sherwin owned a linen draper's shop. When he learned that the son of a gentlemen with a family name dating back to Norman times expressed interest in his daughter, he was more than happy to encourage the union.

Basil's father, however, was extremely proud of his family lineage and expected his sons to follow and respect their family history. Margaret's beauty won over Basil's family obligations. Without the consent of his father he marries Margaret in secret.

After marrying Margaret, Basil realizes that something is not quite right in the Sherwin household. Margaret's moods change with the wind. Each and every person in the home seem to be keeping a secret.

I found the novel extraordinary! The readers are immediately aware that Basil's marriage to Margaret was his undoing, but the events unfold slowly and tragically.

I don't think I will ever hear the names Basil and Margaret and not think of his novel. It was absolutely haunting!

I have read quite a few books by Wilkie Collins, and while this one wasn't the best, it was still great. It was written in a different style from his other books, but pulls you right into the story and keeps your interest throughout. Definitely recommended to anyone who is a fan of this genre.

I recently saw the movie "Basil" with Christian Slator and thought it was quite a compelling story and the book must be great. What a shock. It turns out that the movie is, at best, only "inspired" by the book. If you see the movie first it will ruin this book, as there is very little other than the names of characters that are the same. Otherwise, the book is a fairly interesting story of how lust can really complicate your life when you are young and stupid, set in Victorian England.