Customer Reviews

The Law and the Lady (Penguin Classics)

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Many fans and critics agree that Wilkie Collins' writing talent declined after the gripping "The Moonstone," and his works in the 1870s and 80s are sometimes dismissed as misfires of once-genius mystery writer. Though part of the low estimation is reasonable (and some of the works in this era testifies to this opinion), many of them are still readable and interesting. And "The Law and the Lady" should be classified among those neglected pieces.

Probably the first full-length novel featuring female detective, the novel follows the story of heroine Valeria, who marries Eustace happily in the opening of the book. However, she discovers behind the happy marriage a terrible secret, which involved an unsolved murder case in her newly-wed husband's past, and soon she realizes that her husband is not exactly what she thought. To clear her tainted (and his) family name, Valeria single-handedly embarks on a job of amateur detective.

To fully relish the story, you have to remember several things: one of them is that the book is partly inspired by the real-life case of Madeline Smith, who, it was alleged, disposed of her lover with arsenic. Collins made use of this well-known, sensational case, changing the sex of the accused, and he deftly challenges many concepts embedded in morally strict Victorians. So, when Valeria appoints herself as a detective, her "job" (in Victorian society in which ladies are supposed not to work, with the possible exception of poorly-paid governess) starts to have another meaning. Collins, on the one hand attacking the insufficient laws of Scotland, which give its unique "Not-Proven" verdict to the accused when the jury cannot decide whether or not he/she is guilty, also challenges the morally rigid Victorian ideas about male/female concept. This is not to say Wilkie Collins is a feminist; but considering he never married (but, it is generally agreed, had two mistresses), his unique ideas about contemporary males and females are reflected in this seemingly starange work.

And as a detective novel, "The Law and The lady" has still power to entertain us. Though its beginning part is a little shaky because of implausible situations, the book gradually gets you into the thrilling adventure of Valeria, who overcomes all the barriars on her way to the truth. Though the fact that Collins' best work(s) is "The Moonstone" or "The Woman in White," this book is enjoyable. shows some version of Victorian ideas about the roles of males and females.

By the way, it is argued that the first fictional female detective (including amateur) is also created by Collins in his short story "The Diary of Anne Rodway." (1856) This short can be found in most of the collection of his short stories. But if you know another contender for the first female PI, let me know.

Valeria meets Eustace, a man who seems to have few friends and lots of secrets. They fall passionately in love and are soon married. On their honeymoon Valeria finds out that Eustace married her under an assumed name...and that he was never acquitted of the murder of his first wife. Eustace immediately leaves her to protect her from his shame and disgrace.

Her happiness crumbles, but she steadfastly believes in his innocence. She makes it her life's goal to prove he did NOT murder his wife, to clear his name. But if he didn't murder his wife, then who did? Women were not supposed to investigate these matters in those days, so she faces lots of opposition, even from her friends.

Valeria is a wonderful, strong female lead and the reader can't help but cheer her on in her battles. Along her journey she meets some eccentric characters that brighten the novel, such as Major Fitz-David - a 'major' flirt, and the brilliant, eccentric disabled man named Dexter.

I loved this book. After Part One I could NOT put it down...I needed to find out how it ended.

It's hard to say anything bad about this book. The only negative to me was reading the views of society at the time. Women and disabled people were not treated with the respect they deserved, and it bothers me to read that. However, Valeria fights against those stereotypes and I greatly enjoyed her small victories.

This book has a little of everything...mystery, suspense, insanity, secret diaries, romance, etc. If you enjoy books like Jane Eyre and The Woman in White, you'll probably love this book too.

Wilkie Collins is most famous for his classic mysteries, "The Moonstone" and "The Woman in White." Both were influences to 20th century mystery masters like Dorothy Sayers. In "The Law and the Lady" first published in 1875, Collins focuses on the plight of Valeria Woodville who unwittingly marries a man previously tried for poisoning his first wife. Evidence and testimony could not convince the jury of his guilt or innocence, and an unusual Scotch verdict of "Not Proven" is handed down. He assumes a new name and conceals his tainted past when he marries Valeria. She, however, proves to be a very perceptive and resourceful woman who discovers the truth on her own. Unshaken in her love, she vows to clear her husband's name and reputation in order to secure their future happiness.

*** In his signature works, Collins often frustrates the reader's patience with his lengthy narrative style. But "The Law and the Lady" moves along surprisingly well. Despite some ridiculous and dated perceptions about the sexes (Collins frequently has characters and Valeria herself remark that she's "only a woman"), Valeria's actions prove she's admirably keen and the one to get things rolling.

*** Collins should also get points for introducing the outrageously campy, scene-stealing characters of the lunatic genius Misserimus Dexter and his devoted, but moronic cousin Ariel. Missing both his legs, Dexter scoots around either like the "new centaur" (half-man, half wheel chair) or on his hands like a "frog". It's this added element of circus freakshow that effectively ruffles the otherwise creaky Victorian setting.

One of Wilkie Collins' lesser known works, THE LAW AND THE LADY is nonetheless a gripping read! Valeria's quest to acquit her husband of the murder of his ex-wife is top-notch Collins. Like token Collins' detective novels, the reader is taken deeper and deeper into the psychology of his characters. Meserimus Dexter is one of Collins' most frightening characters. His mental degeneration within the novel's gripping pages will leave you breathless. Valeria's involvement with the unstable Dexter is some of the most suspenseful reading you are likely to find in modern literature. Highly recommended to any Collins' enthusiast, or anyone looking for a great read.

No, it's not "The Woman in White" or even "The Moonstone", but it's still an excellent story! Collins has created another wonderful strong heroine, and this heroine is out to solve a mystery. Valeria Woodville's husband was tried for murder, and she is determined to prove his innocence, once and for all. During her investigation, she meets Miserrimus Dexter, who is perhaps the most fascinating character Collins has ever created. He certainly makes Count Fosco of "The Woman in White" look like a pussycat! He's the most enigmatic character -- just when you think you have him figured out, you realize you don't know anything about him! Ariel is another fascinating character study. She is worthy of pity, but pitying her is like pitying a pit bull; she turns violent at the drop of a hairbrush. Valeria herself is an interesting subject; she defies everyone, determined to prove her husband's innocence, but towards the end of the novel, she begins to behave a bit erratically. I won't say any more; you'll have to read the book to see what I mean. This is a great novel to curl up with on a rainy night, or maybe on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon -- sometime when you won't be likely to be interrupted, as you won't want to put it down until Valeria Woodville solves the mystery!

Great mystery. It holds your interest from the beginning until the end! Wilkie Collins novels are all great!

As a general rule I rarely enjoy the novels assigned in classical literature classes but I can usually appreciate the work for its merits. I was pleasantly surprised by The Law and the Lady because it is very readable, the first hurdle in making an assigned piece of literature more than just required text.

Though it is tame by today's standards, Collins presents the relatively new concept of the "amateur detective" and even goes so far as to make his protagonist a woman, very unusual (and almost scandalous) by Victorian standards. To make the novel acceptable in the time it was published, Collins is very careful to temper his progressive ideas with plenty of references to Valeria Macallan's feminine weaknesses and multiple uses of the phrase "only a woman" but he constructed a foundation that scores of female writers and characters have built upon. Keep your eye out for parallels to the classic "Oedipus Rex" story and how Collins treats the gender role-reversal of Valeria and Eustace.

All in all, not an unpleasant book to read if required to do so. Experienced readers will recognize that, despite its faults, The Law and the Lady was very provocative when written and really jump-started the genre of female P.I.s that is so common and popular today. Valeria could be considered the great-grandmother of Kinsey Millhone or V.I. Warshawski.

The Moonstone is considered WC's best mystery novel. However, lately I've started reading Wilkie's lesser known works. The Dead Secret was extraordinary, and once again a Collins novel has captured my heart.

In The Law and the Lady, newlywed, Valeria Woodville discovers that her husband married her under an assumed name. Neither her husband or his friends or family will speak about the deception bestowed upon the unsuspecting bride. The only thing Valeria's mother-in-law discloses is that she pities Valeria and will speak no more on the subject.

Eustace Woodville, actually Eustace Macallen also will not reveal the reason for marrying Valeria under an assumed name. The topic is so painful to him that he abandons his bride rather than reveal the dark secret from his past. He leaves England and begs Valeria to forget him for her own good. Valeria does no such thing!

The Law and the Lady is a detective novel, an excellent one, in fact. Valeria takes it upon herself to discover the secret that forced her husband to lie to the woman he so deeply loves and then abandon her rather than reveal the secret from his past.

Slight spoiler coming up....Valeria's sleuthing reveal that Eustace Macallen was accused of murdering his first wife. A scottish court gave the verdict "not proven" He was not convicted of the crime, but the jury was unable to find him innocent. Eustace convinced himself that the scottish verdict would forever haunt his second wife, and she would always wonder if he actually did murder his wife.

Valeria's belief in her husband's innocence never wavers. She is determined to prove her husband's innocence, even when friends and family advise that not even the best lawyers money can buy could ever change the "not proven" verdict.

The Law and the Lady is the perfect novel for those who enjoyed The Moonstone or just enjoy detective novels. If you like this novel, make sure you read The Dead Secret, another excellent WC mystery novel!

This is the second novel I read this year by Wilkie Collins. After first reading one of his most celebrated works, Woman In White, I ordered this one. Although, I didn't like it as much as Woman In White, I did feel it was a good solid, entertaining mystery. I've become a big fan of Collins and look forward to reading more of his novels.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Nancy Drew. Not because of the characters or the plots (which even at 9 years old I knew were hackneyed), but because of the stuff -- secret passageways, crumbling old maps, Spanish lace shawls, whispering statues, jewel-encrusted automaton birds, antique lockets with hidden inscriptions . . .

This book is the direct ancestor of that genre, although it was ostensibly written for grown-ups, not for kids. Collins seemed to have dreamed up the melodramatic plot and plucky female detective as an excuse to create fantastical settings filled with wondrous objects. It's a Gothic cabinet of curiosities, and utterly delectable.

Here's a little sample, taken from a passage in which our heroine is searching an old gentleman's library for clues:

"On the upper shelf there appeared, in solitary grandeur, one object only -- a gorgeously-bound book. . . . The binding was of blue velvet, with clasps of silver worked in beautiful arabesque patterns, and with a lock of the same precious metal to protect the book from prying eyes. . . .

"Being a woman, . . . I opened the book, without a moment's hesitation. The leaves were of the finest vellum, with tastefully designed illuminations all round them. And what did these highly ornamented pages contain? To my unutterable amazement and disgust, they contained locks of hair, let neatly into the centre of each page -- with inscriptions beneath, which proved them to be love-tokens from various ladies, who had touched the Major's susceptible heart at different periods of his life . . . "

Ah, bliss. And truly, this is not even the best of it. There are pages and pages of descriptions of the most outlandish objects, whose presence is the books seems designed merely to delight and entertain.

A bit of a warning: If you are looking for literary merit of the sort found in The Moonstone or The Woman in White, you won't find it here. But if you'd like to channel your inner Nancy -- and go back to the days when a mystery novel meant creaky old staircases, dusty old books and delicious hidden treasures -- this is the book for you.