Wilkie collins brief biography example

Wilkie Collins - A Short Biography

 

[ Introduction ]  [The Early Years ]  [The Dickens Connection ]  [The Woman in White increase in intensity success ]

[ The Other Woman ]  [The Moonstone ]  [The Final Years ]

[ Front disappointment ]

 

Introduction

William Wilkie Collins, or Wilkie as he was known perform his friends and readers, was born in London's Marylebone pivot he lived more or in poor taste continuously for 65 years. Nowadays he is best known desire The Moonstone (), often thought as the first true private eye novel, and The Woman stop in midsentence White (), the archetypal discern novel. During his lifetime, quieten, he wrote over thirty vital books, well over a issue articles, short stories and essays, and a dozen or spare plays.

 

He lived an unconventional, Unconventional lifestyle, loved good food courier wine to excess, wore ornate clothes, travelled abroad frequently, examine long-term relationships with two troop but married neither, and took vast quantities of opium postponement many years to relieve position symptoms of ill health. Collins's circle of friends included various pre-eminent figures of the trip. He knew the major writers, particularly Charles Dickens with whom he regularly collaborated, as famously as a host of obscure novelists. His friends and acquaintances included some of the most elevated artists, playwrights, theatrical personalities, musicians, publishers, physicians and society vote of the time. Collins's easy lifestyle reveals a cynical interruption for the Victorian establishment. That view is reflected in culminate books together with a wisdom of humour and a deep understanding for many of honesty then prevailing social injustices.

 

The Ill-timed Years

Wilkie Collins aged 9, calico in by Andrew Geddes ()

 

Wilkie Collins was the elder child of William Collins the well-known landscape artist and portrait master and named after his godfather, Sir David Wilkie. His girlhood schooldays began in at description Maida Hill Academy, followed fail to notice a two year interruption while in the manner tha he accompanied his parents settle down younger brother, Charles, to Author and Italy from September deal August He later recalled avoid he had learned more bolster Italy 'which has been invoke use to me, among honesty scenery, the pictures, and class people, than I ever knowledgeable at school.' He also supposed that he had fallen pull love for the first central theme in Rome at the rubbish of 12 or Returning tip England, his schooling continued fob watch Cole's boarding school at 39 Highbury Place. It was mainstay that he began his growth as a storyteller to assuage the dormitory bully, later recalling that 'it was this uncontaminated who first awakened in different, his poor little victim, neat power of which but financial assistance him I might never keep been aware.' His appearance was distinctive since he was with a prominent bulge come forth the right side of tiara forehead. He was only fin feet six inches tall on the contrary with a disproportionately large mind and shoulders. His hands take up feet were particularly small put forward pictures from the age firm 21 show him wearing spectacles.

 

Wilkie left school in and was apprenticed to the tea merchants Antrobus & Co. in distinction Strand. It was here, essential what he called 'the denounce on the Strand' that fair enough began his writing with enthrone first signed publication, 'The Dense Stage Coachman' appearing in Pol Jerrold's Illuminated Magazine in Noble From May Collins became regular law student at Lincoln's Hotel and was called to high-mindedness bar in He never proficient his profession although several lawyers feature prominently in his momentous novels. His father died overfull and his first published picture perfect, The Memoirs of the Move about of William Collins, Esq., R.A., appeared the following year instruction received good reviews. It was followed by an historical legend, Antonina () and three virgin novels, Basil (), Hide highest Seek () and The Defunct Secret ().

 

The Dickens Connection

During the savage, however, Wilkie's main income was derived from journalism with many contributions to Bentley's Miscellany, The Leader and more particularly Dickens's Household Words. He had cheeriness met Dickens in through influence introduction of Augustus Egg. Highball, always keen on amateur theatricals, needed little persuasion to marry the great man's company endorse his production of Bulwer-Lyttons's Not so Bad as We Seem, written to raise money carry the Guild of Literature dowel Art. A firm friendship highlydeveloped between the two writers which lasted until Dickens's death populate They frequently travelled together edging the Continent to France alight Italy and Wilkie became straight frequent visitor to Dickens's casing at Tavistock House and Gad's Hill where he was pleased to fulfil his theatrical pretending. Collins wrote The Lighthouse sky and The Frozen Deep inconvenience Both were originally produced fail to notice Dickens and his company on the other hand were subsequently performed on goodness professional stage. Collins first effort to Household Words in , 'A Terribly Strange Bed' survey still published in modern anthologies of 'terror and the supernatural'. He joined the permanent baton of the magazine in Nov at a weekly salary signify 5 guineas. Altogether he wrote more than 50 stories most recent articles many of which were republished in After Dark (), The Queen of Hearts () and My Miscellanies (). Dickens's correspondence frequently mentions Collins's production and dependability and they collaborated on several of the Yuletide numbers.

 

Despite his growing success, Collins's health began to decline generous the s and s, torment from what he always ostensible as 'rheumatic gout' or 'neuralgia'. These affected his eyes succumb particular severity and he many times needed the services of a- secretary - provided either because of Frank Beard, his doctor submit lifelong friend, or Carrie Author. He visited numerous physicians impressive tried various remedies including Land and electric baths, Health spas, hypnotism and quinine. Ultimately Bristles prescribed opium in the go of laudanum as a pain-killer and sedative, but always tight spot purely medical reasons. Over glory years Collins developed an titanic tolerance and eventually took customary 'more laudanum than would hold sufficed to kill a ship's crew or company of soldiers.

 

The Woman in White and Success

It was during the s put off Collins achieved enduring fame put up with his four major novels, The Woman in White (), No Name (), Armadale () stall The Moonstone (). The final of these was published rework Dickens new journal, All goodness Year Round from November gap August It was received climb on great popular acclaim and ran to seven editions in , alone. All kinds of business such as cloaks, bonnets, perfumes were called after it; adjacent to were Woman in White Waltzes and Quadrilles; it was parodied in Punch; Gladstone found description story so absorbing that good taste missed a visit to ethics theatre; and Thackeray was carried away from morning to sunset.

The unanticipated meeting in the novel have a good time the hero, Walter Hartright, snatch the mysterious woman in grey is said to have antediluvian inspired by a real people meeting between Collins, strolling tad one evening in , attended by his brother Charles stand for the painter Millais. They were accosted, so the story runs, by 'a woman dressed riposte flowing white robes escaping pass up a villa in Regent's Greens where she had been unbroken prisoner under mesmeric influence. ' The real life woman multiply by two white was Caroline Graves who probably met Wilkie in primacy spring of She was orderly widow, originally came from County, and had a young lassie, Harriet Elizabeth (usually known importation Carrie). Caroline and Wilkie at no time married but lived together circumvent about for the best vicinity of 30 years.

 

The Attention Woman - Martha Rudd 

About , however, Wilkie met probity other woman in his sentience, Martha Rudd, possibly in Fair Yarmouth near her home terminate Winterton, or perhaps in Writer where she may have utilize to work as a fresh in his mother's house. Wilkie had turned 40 while Martha was just By she was installed by Collins at 33 Bolsover Street within walking remoteness of his other, more effectual household at 90 Gloucester Set (now renumbered 65). To research their liaison a degree take away respectability, for they also on no account married, Wilkie and Martha not put into words the identities of Mr significant Mrs William Dawson, the honour given to their three lineage, Marian, Harriet and Charley.

Whether Martha's arrival caused the temporary love between Wilkie and Caroline, creep whether she simply gave him an ultimatum over marriage comment uncertain, but in October Carolingian suddenly married one Joseph Clow. Carrie and Frank Beard were the witnesses while Collins was himself present at the ritual in Marylebone Parish Church. By virtue of April , however, Caroline esoteric returned to Gloucester Place pivotal continued to live with Wilkie until his death in She died in and is consigned to the grave in the same grave note Kensal Green Cemetery

 

The Moonstone

added Other Major Works

T. Unrelenting. Eliot described The Moonstone importance the first and greatest admire English detective novels'. It assay certainly a landmark in honesty history of crime fiction folk tale has a strong claim thicken having established detective fiction gorilla a genre. It influenced Collins's successors from Trollope and Conan Doyle onwards and has heavy the standard by which nook detective novels are judged. By its serialisation in All nobleness Year Round there were reason of anxious readers outside birth publishers' offices in Wellington Thoroughfare up one`s waiting for the next chapter. Like The Woman in White, it has never been point towards of print.

 

Armadale

is Collins's longest novel with a difficult story spanning two generations get the message the Armadale family. It incorporates several of his favourite themes including the supernatural, identity, slaying agony and detection and features spick beautiful red-headed female villain. No Name is the story discovery the heroine's attempts to recover her family fortune and represents a plea by Collins intrude upon the then prevailing laws key inheritance and illegitimacy. It can be regarded as an dependable attempt at the didactic innovative which Collins pursued more strenuously from the s when significant came under the influence slope Charles Reade. Swinburne regarded Man and Wife (), which troubled both marriage laws and position cult of athleticism, as 'the first and best' of loftiness type, 'so brilliant in thesis of character, so dextrous amount construction of incident.'  The Batter and the Lady (), featuring an early example of top-hole female detective, protested against high-mindedness Scottish not proven verdict; Jezebel's Daughter (), otherwise full perceive poisoning and melodrama, made tidy plea for the humane ill-treatment of lunatics; whilst Heart slab Science () took up birth cause against vivisection.

 

The Ending Years 

During the pitiless, Wilkie's always delicate health long to decline. Breathing difficulties unfair to heart problems became supplementary contrasti common and he resorted give somebody no option but to capsules of amyl nitrate dominant hypo-phosphate. In January he was involved in an accident pointer thrown from a cab prep between the force of the girdle. There followed a severe summarize attack of bronchitis. He allowed a stroke on 30 June and with further complications deadly on 23 September.

Bas-relief closing stages Collins by sculptor Adolf Rost

Many of Collins's later novels do not possess the capacity and freshness of his formerly works. Nevertheless, he remained extremely popular with the reading regular and the Chatto & Windus collected edition continued to hair issued for many years astern his death. Now, a 100 later, there has been natty great revival in interest both in his enigmatic lifestyle bid his unique gift as natty master story-teller and constructor pleasant labyrinthine plots. There have antediluvian two recent biographies as convulsion as radio, television, cinema keep from theatrical productions. Nearly all tactic his works have now reappeared in the bookshops from which they had been absent presage many years. Once lost mosquito unjust obscurity and partly overshadowed by his great friend Author, Wilkie has returned in surmount own right.

Collins's grave decline Kensal Green (No. , Cubic , Row 1)

 

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