Customer Reviews

No Name

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wilkie Collins is known primarily for two novels: 'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone'. Both novels are indeed quite enjoyable. However I found them to be very different, and almost "unbalanced". 'The Woman in White' is a complex novel, a rollercoaster of plot-twists at a hysterical pace. On the other hand, 'The Moonstone' is a slow-paced mystery which moves towards a satisfying conclusion. 'No Name' fits nicely in between.

'No Name' is a story about how two sisters go on different paths on coming to terms with life after being mistreated by a cruel twist of fate, and being the victim of inhumane Victorian-era society (and its laws). The elder sister carries on without mishap, while the younger sister seeks justice at any expense ... to the extent of performing unethical and criminal activities herself. While seeking justice she encounters some rather equally cunning individuals (..another woman in particular), and the story unfolds into a battle of who can outfox whom. And it becomes abundantly clear that the person viewed initially as the victim is actually very cruel.

Finally, I have to recommend the Penguin Classic version of this novel for one simple reason: its cover is great. It is a painting of a young woman ("Miss Dene") who has such a sad, reflective expression on her face that one feels she is indeed the poor, suffering (yet malicious) younger sister Magdalen.

4 1/2 stars, but I rounded up.

No Name is the story and portrait of Magdalen Vanstone... or as Wilkie introduces his novel in the preface, "Here is one more book that depicts the struggle of a human creature, under those opposing influences of Good and Evil, which we have all felt, which we have all known." It's a fairly accurate description as throughout the course of the story, we see the evolution of the character of our heroine; we see her heading down a shady path, but yet somehow from a 21st century perspective, Magdalen manages to make it seem not so immoral. Often times I see her trying to act as morally as she can in the unmoral situations she chooses to involve herself in. Part of No Name's strength, arises from the deftness in which Collins creates Magdalen. She posseses such an enormous range in character and emotion that if No Name were ever to be made into a movie, actresses would vie to have her role.

When Magdalen and her sister's inheritance are taken away due to unexpected familial circumstances, Magdalen resolutely follows a reckless path of revenge. While not exactly your Victorian equivalent of your "Kill Bill," the novel seems closer in spirit to Alexander Dumas's novel: The Count of Monte Cristo. Of course it doesn't have the swashbuckling quality of Dumas's novel as there are no fight scenes to the death. Collins's novel is set in a domestic scene with a female protagonist and the action is far tamer. It is equally gripping though because it's the chase of the revenge that's the fun part; the deceit and swindling involved, the careful measuring of your enemy's abilities that is part of charm. Collins was genius to embroil a female in a revenge type of plot and I'm just amazed at how much free agency Collins bestows upon Magdalen - a female living in Victorian times. He completely cuts her off from the ties of society and gives her free reign.

While I was reading, I felt that the novel could be loosely separated into 3 quite different parts - each with it's own distinct pacing and mood. It goes quite well with the divisions of the triple-decker novel they had long ago. I'm not spoiling much because the novel covers such massive ground, but the first part covers the idyllic times of the Vanstone family and we come to see how the inheritance is stripped from the Vanstone daughters. The second part (the best and my favorite) follows Magdalen as she pursues her revenge with the superior help of the rogue Captain Wragge, a self-proclaimed, "moral agriculturist" (I'll leave you to discover what he means by it). Wragge is one of Collins' best creations (he even beats out Count Fosco in my mind). A short, brown eyed, green eyed creature with enormous talents and verbal abilities, he is very resourceful, calculates very well, and is able to adapt quickly to whatever is needed in each situation. One of the highlights of No Name resides in Wragge's chronicle describing Magdalen's progress. The other crowning achievement is the cat and mouse game played between Captain Wragge and Madame Lecount (the housekeeper and keeper of the interest of Magdalen's victim). Both are directors of people and there is a large amount of plotting and counter-plotting that goes on that keeps the pages turning. It is here that No Name rivals that of The Woman in White, and if Collins had continued to write in this vein, No Name could have been on an equal footing to Woman in White.

However it is in the third part -dealing with the fallout of the revenge- that No Name becomes more flawed. I would say especially so in the ending. Quite a lot of Victorians found the ending distasteful, but the modern reader might find it a little dissatisfying for a completely different reason.

As No Name was delivered right after Collins's magnum opus, The Woman in White, there was a possibility of being in its shadow. However, Collins more than safely overcomes such a hurdle. He's crafted an entirely different story. Although in a way, I almost see No Name as an inverse of Woman in White. Think of a story looking and rooting from the side of Sir Percieval and Count Fosco--the nefarious plotting to take away an inheritance--and in a way, it is the story of Madgalen and Captain Wragge. Of course our sympathies are on completely different sides and this is due to the strength of Collins's characterizations. But that said, the books feel almost nothing alike.

In the end, although not as tightly plotted as The Woman in White and a bit more flawed, No Name is more ambitious, covers more ground, more character development, a lot more stories, introduces way more secondary characters, and is pretty amazing as a whole. It's a massive novel in which Collins fleshes out so many people (and for Collins that usually means, so many people to like) and Collins is able to accomplish a measurable change and growth in the character of Magdalen. The more I reflect on the novel, the better it gets for me, and the more amazed I am at all that Wilkie attempted and accomplished.

I recommend reading the Oxford World's Classics edition for its excellent introduction by Virginia Blain. It hits spot-on about everything that is good and bad about the novel as well as going into the themes of acting and of plotting (both human plotting and writer plotting).

Wilkie Collins holds a unique spot among the Victorian novelists. His intricate plots don't dawdle -- they move, with cliffhangers throughout. And, he has a remarkably clear writing style that makes his works almost as accessible as those of a modern thriller writer. "No Name" has both plots galore and clarity, along with deeper character sketches than "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone". I rate it slightly below its more famous siblings because of a) the ending -- which was rather too contrived, even for Collins -- and b) a bit too much melodrama as Magdalen approaches her nuptials. To potential first time Collins readers, I recommend starting with "The Moonstone" and then moving to "The Woman in White". If you enjoy these, you should definitely proceed to "No Name".

This is the best-plotted book I have ever read. The intricacies of the ingenious cat-and-mouse game kept me unable to put the book down (despite its length, and my general impatience as a slow reader). Unlike other books I've read by Collins, this one is also extremely funny, largely because of one character who is an incredible rascal and scoundrel. This is really one of the most enjoyable novels I've ever found.

Wilkie Collins, best know for "The Moonstone" (which I have read and loved) and "The Woman in White" (which I have not read yet) is at his best in "No Name". I do not compare it to the "Moonstone" for the "Moonstone" is a great mystery for which the reader must wait to the end for it to be revealed. "No Name" is not a mystery but one great chessmatch, that oddly enough is not played by Magdalen and Noel Vanstone. It is played by the wonderful character of Captain Wragge and Mrs. Lecount. Reading and seeing the game as it is played out is one great ride.

Although many, at the time the book was published, were shocked at the ending. I found it to be very good. It was shocking to those at the time that Wilkie would allow a woman who had done the things Magdalen had done to find happiness. As a reader, I was very much glad that she did find it (one litte bit of the ending revealed) for she deserved it (in my opinion).

In the beginning of the book, I came to very much like Magdalen and wished her success in her quest to regain her rightful inheritance - although I knew what she was doing was wrong. I also found that I very much liked Captain Wragge, for all of his "moral agriculturalism", he had a soft spot for Magdalen which came through in the story. For her part, Magdalen, trying her best to be unemotional and strong, kept her soft side when it came to Mrs. Wragge (even though she was her downfall).

All in all, this was a very good book that kept my interest through the 700 pages. For those of you that liked the "Moonstone" and the "Woman in White", "No Name" will no disappoint and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys Wilkie's style of writing.

P.S. I did not write too much about the story line for I did not want to give too much of it away.

This story is set in the 1840's and I beleive it was written about that time too. It is an interesting story about 2 wealthy sisters and their life struggles. A lot of twists and turns and some fabulous old descriptive words used - you will use the dictionary feature on almost every page!

The story is long winded at times, sometimes over descriptive, but I could not put this one down, the characters were wonderful and they were described in great detail. It is a long story that will take you a while to get through, it has many twists and turns and sometimes you will not know where it is heading. I enjoyed every minute of it and I 'bonded' so much with the characters that I can see them in my head now. Captain Wragge and his 'party coloured eyes' makes your imagination work to its fullest.The language used and the character development make this a story that will stay with you for a long while to come.


Highly recommend if you enjoy Jane Eyre type stories AND IT WAS FREE!

Magdalen is the rather spoiled young daughter of a country squire who seems to have a most normal life -- until her parents die, she finds that she and her sister are illegitimate, and she is completely deprived of her inheritance. While her sister sits patiently at home and endures trials of poverty as a governess, Magdalen sets out alone to regain her money from the hands of first a greedy uncle and then his equally greedy son. Populated with a cast of characters fit to equal any of Collins' more celebrated novels, No Name is at once a spellbinding tale of an resourceful and determined young woman's adventures, a deep perusal of her motives and morals, and an accurate portrayal of the Victorian society against which she rebells. I highly recommend it.

Engrossing, densely textured read.
Could claim greatness on the basis of the Wragges and Madame alone, but also contains one of the most original heroines in Victorian fiction,and draws a fascinating portrait of venality, social corruption and hypocrisy -- at times, it reminded me of both 'Pere Goriot' and 'Les Miserables'.
And it's full of those little concrete details that make nineteenth century fiction so deliciously materialistic. Don't miss out on the Oriental Cashmere Robe!

This book is much less known than its famous brothers, "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone" (I have read them both). It was written between them, and I think it is a very worthy companion to the pair. Mr. Collins was the son of a well-known painter and you perceive his gifted eye for describing characters and environments. He also had a great talent for devising plots and producing very vivid, human and interesting characters. So, your reading enjoyment can be very rich and multidimensional. You can almost feel in the background the presence of the writer's very powerful mind behind the story, carefully describing very realistic scenes, with dashes of humor, irony and eccentricities, while keeping you keenly interested for almost 750 pages. Some of the characters and scenes in the book are gems, as the one of the rich and extreme miser, Mr. Noel Vanstone, in the agony of agreeing on the amount to inherit to his lifelong housekeeper, Mrs. Lacomte (who has been almost his mother). And this, while she is dictating to him the terms of his will ! Mrs. Wragge, his swindler husband, Magdalen and the Admiral are greatly portrayed. This is one of the few books that after finished, most probably will keep growing with you, and will keep its attraction in your memory for a long time. Mr. Collins's main works are so high-quality, that you'd be a much more selective reader afterwards. I would recommend also his "Armadale" (this I haven't read yet, but soon will).

It is to Wilkie Collins' credit that more than a century after he wrote his novels, they still engage the reader and make sense in social terms. In "No Name," two sisters by the last name of Vanstone find out that they are illegitimate. Their formerly comfortable lives are disrupted to the core as their lose their places in society, their friends, their inheritances, and even, literally, their names. Collins makes their predicament alive and vital despite the fact that today this sort of news would barely stir a social ripple.