Collins was born in London, the son of a well-known Royal Academician landscape artist, William Collins. Named after his father, he became known by his second name Wilkie. From the ages of 12-15 he lived with his parents in Italy, which made a great impression on him. At the age of 22 he entered Lincoln's Inn to study law. It was in 1850, with the release of his first published novel, that his career as a writer began in earnest. In 1851 he was introduced to Charles Dickens and they became lifelong friends and collaborators. Collins suffered from a form of arthritis known as "rheumatic gout" and became severely addicted to the opium that he took (in the form of laudanum) to relieve the pain. As a result he experienced paranoid delusions, the most notable being his conviction that he was constantly accompanied by a subjective 'Ghost Wilkie'. His novel The Moonstone prominently features the effects of opium addiction. Collins never married and died in 1889. He is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, West London.

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THE WOMAN IN WHITE (504 KB)
Fiction
The Woman in White was written in 1859 and published in 1860. It is considered among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the best in sensational novel genre. The story can be considered as an early detective fiction as he uses many sleuthing techniques. The multiple narratives draw on the author's legal training. Author Wilkie Collins is at his best, with a brilliant plot and careful manipulation of great scenes and suspense.
About this story
The protagonist in the story is Walter Hartright. Throughout the story the characters encounter a mysterious woman in white, whose own sad story seems entangled with those of Laura and her husband. She is the mysterious Anne Catherick, who apparently plays a crucial role in the main events. Hartright first encountered Anne Catherick on his last night in London but she reappears, having escaped from the mental asylum. Actually, she was committed by Sir Percival since Anne and her mother know a dark secret about him.

This is a compulsory set book for FIRST CERTIFICATE EXAM Section 2010.