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No Name (Oxford World's Classics)
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Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Author: Wilkie Collins
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
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Our Price: $10.17
You Save: $ 4.78 ( 32% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Author: Wilkie Collins
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Average Customer Rating:
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No Name (Oxford World's Classics) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780192833884
ISBN: 019283388X
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 784
Publication Date: 1998-06-25
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780192833884
ISBN: 019283388X
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 784
Publication Date: 1998-06-25
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
Editorial Review of No Name (Oxford World's Classics)
Condemned by Victorian critics as immoral, but regarded today as a novel of outstanding social insight, No Name shows William Wilkie Collins at the height of his literary powers. It is the story of two sisters, Magdalen and Norah, who discover after the deaths of their dearly beloved parents that their parents were not married at the time of their births. Disinherited and ousted from their estate, they must fend for themselves and either resign themselves to their fate or determine to recover their wealth by whatever means.
Customer Reviews of No Name (Oxford World's Classics)
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: A good book, but not one I'd read again
Review: When both of their parents die in close succession, Magdalene and Norah Vanstone are shocked to find themselves left with no inheritance, due to fact that their parents were not actually married at the time of their birth.
"No Name" is a good book, albeit a bit too long for my liking, but not a book that I would ever read again. Although I found it fascinating to learn of how illegitimate children were treated back in the 1800's (a topic that must have been close to Collins's heart, considering that he never married the mother of his children), this tale of a young woman's descent and torment at the hands of uncaring relatives, was just too depressing for my liking. Yes, it does have a happy ending, but having to wait over 700 pages to get to that ending wasn't much fun at all. I much preferred Collins's two, better known, works, "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone".
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fantastic Example of Christian/Victorian Literature
Review: It should be obvious when a sinner by the name of Magdalen is rescued by a gentlemen named Kirke that there is more than meets the eye going on in the novel. On the surface, the story is a solid (but not spectacular) offering. With the exception of a couple of places, the story never drags or becomes cluttered with exposition.
The depth of the novel can be found just below the surface. This is the story of the fall and redemption of Magdalen Vanstone, and the more closely you look, the more there is to find. The weather and locations take Magdalen from a lovely Country estate to the heart of London, to a coastal town being consumed by the sea, to the swamps of England, and finally to the depths of the poor district in London. Magdalen's behavior, and her life, can be seen by a "look out the author's window."
For its humor, its philosophy, or its humanism, this a highly recommended book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A neglected gem
Review: I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that until recently I had never heard of this book. However, I saw it on Harold Bloom's list of books comprising the "Western Canon" and, since I like Collins, I decided to read it. What I find! I am at a loss to understand why this book is not better known, because in this book Collins truly rivals Dickens in plot development and characterization. "The Moonstone" and "The Woman in White" are classics, but "No Name" is better. Yet it is almost unknown, and I understand that for a long time it was out of print.
The less you know about this book the better. This is because it is one of the most ingeniously plotted books I have ever read, so it is best to be taken by surprise with the plot twists. Suffice it to say that it is about two sisters in a well to do Victorian household who discover, after both their parents die in fairly short order, that they are illegitimate and have no rights of inheritance. Norah, the older sister, passively accepts her fate and finds work as a governess, but Magdalen, the younger sister and the book's central character, becomes obsessed with revenge and with getting back the fortune which is rightfully hers. In this she is assisted by a charming rogue named Horatio Wragge. Read the book and see what happens! I think you'll agree that it is one of the best reads of your life.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: "Mr. Vanstone's daughters are Nobody's Children"
Review: 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).
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great Ninteenth Century Chessmatch - One of Wilkie's Best
Review: 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.
Review Summary: A good book, but not one I'd read again
Review: When both of their parents die in close succession, Magdalene and Norah Vanstone are shocked to find themselves left with no inheritance, due to fact that their parents were not actually married at the time of their birth.
"No Name" is a good book, albeit a bit too long for my liking, but not a book that I would ever read again. Although I found it fascinating to learn of how illegitimate children were treated back in the 1800's (a topic that must have been close to Collins's heart, considering that he never married the mother of his children), this tale of a young woman's descent and torment at the hands of uncaring relatives, was just too depressing for my liking. Yes, it does have a happy ending, but having to wait over 700 pages to get to that ending wasn't much fun at all. I much preferred Collins's two, better known, works, "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone".
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fantastic Example of Christian/Victorian Literature
Review: It should be obvious when a sinner by the name of Magdalen is rescued by a gentlemen named Kirke that there is more than meets the eye going on in the novel. On the surface, the story is a solid (but not spectacular) offering. With the exception of a couple of places, the story never drags or becomes cluttered with exposition.
The depth of the novel can be found just below the surface. This is the story of the fall and redemption of Magdalen Vanstone, and the more closely you look, the more there is to find. The weather and locations take Magdalen from a lovely Country estate to the heart of London, to a coastal town being consumed by the sea, to the swamps of England, and finally to the depths of the poor district in London. Magdalen's behavior, and her life, can be seen by a "look out the author's window."
For its humor, its philosophy, or its humanism, this a highly recommended book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A neglected gem
Review: I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that until recently I had never heard of this book. However, I saw it on Harold Bloom's list of books comprising the "Western Canon" and, since I like Collins, I decided to read it. What I find! I am at a loss to understand why this book is not better known, because in this book Collins truly rivals Dickens in plot development and characterization. "The Moonstone" and "The Woman in White" are classics, but "No Name" is better. Yet it is almost unknown, and I understand that for a long time it was out of print.
The less you know about this book the better. This is because it is one of the most ingeniously plotted books I have ever read, so it is best to be taken by surprise with the plot twists. Suffice it to say that it is about two sisters in a well to do Victorian household who discover, after both their parents die in fairly short order, that they are illegitimate and have no rights of inheritance. Norah, the older sister, passively accepts her fate and finds work as a governess, but Magdalen, the younger sister and the book's central character, becomes obsessed with revenge and with getting back the fortune which is rightfully hers. In this she is assisted by a charming rogue named Horatio Wragge. Read the book and see what happens! I think you'll agree that it is one of the best reads of your life.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: "Mr. Vanstone's daughters are Nobody's Children"
Review: 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).
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great Ninteenth Century Chessmatch - One of Wilkie's Best
Review: 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.