The girl named Mary -- they called her Madonna, and she was deaf and dumb and beautiful as a painting by Raphael -- was a mystery. The Blyths adopted her from a kindly old woman connected to a traveling circus, but everyone knew she wasn't from circus folk. All they DID know about her identity was that she'd lost her hearing in an accident, and the proprietor of the circus had treated her horribly, and, and . . . and in her cache of secret personal private things, she owned one thing as precious to her as life itself: a bracelet made of brown human hair with the initials MG tied into it. The Blyths kept it locked in a bureau for fear that Mary's unknown family might one day claim her. . . .
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About the Author
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories.
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Customer Reviews
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By lazza
Format:Paperback
I have read all of Wilkie Collins's major works (The Woman in White, The Moonstone, No Name, Armadale) and a couple of his minor works (Basil, The Dead Secret). Hide and Seek was written before Wilkie Collins made a name for himself as a 'sensation novelist'. Unfortunately whereas Basil, another early novel, showed the promise of Collins's later years, Hide and Seek does him no justice.
Hide and Seek is a melodramatic story of a young deaf and dumb girl of illegitimate birth (..a big no-no in Victorian society) who, through much trauma, finds herself adopted by a kind middle-aged couple (..adding to the melodrama, the adoptive mother is handicapped). Not wanting to cause a scandal, the adoptive parents try to pass the girl as their natural daughter. However a stranger from the girl's distant past makes a sudden appearance and ... you can guess the rest.
Wilkie Collins often uses rather contrived elements in his stories. Often times they are not central to the theme, and so one can forgive the author for resorting to 'cheap tricks'. However in Hide and Seek Wilkie Collins goes WAY overboard with not one, but two 'one in a billion' coincidences which directly affects the plot. This ruined the book for me.
But otherwise Wilkie Collins does write in a pleasent, fluid style. His stories are readable without being too weighed-down with literary excess. He wrote literature (versus popular fiction) for the masses. So Hike and Seek might be a pleasent diversion for Wilkie Collins fans. For all others I strongly advise reading any one of his famous works (listed above) to see Mr. Collins at his finest.
Format:Paperback
This is one of my favorite Collins novels. Mr. Valentine Blyth, an artist, is certainly a delightful character and his devotion to his invalid wife is moving. The Blyths's lives are changed when they meet a lovely orphan girl who is an exhibit at a circus because she is deaf and mute. The plot centers around Mary's mysterious background and the tragic story of her mother. The characters are well portrayed, although Mary, the Blyths' adopted daughter, is almost too perfect. The plot is quite melodramatic but interesting, a litle farfetched. I recommend this for anyone who has never read Wilkie Collins.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Wilkie Collins' first two novels,ANTONINA and BASIL,while displaying his talent for melodrama were stylistically amateurish.While BASIL has attracted the attention in recent years of scholars and readers,HIDE AND SEEK,Collins' third and according to the author-his best work written up to that point,has engendered little comment. HIDE AND SEEK was a turning point for Collins.Though the book contained some of the insipid prose writing that fatally marred the first two fictions,HIDE AND SEEK was the work in which Collins' power emerged.It tells the story of the destructiveness of religious and sexual hypocrisy and the bitter hatred and revenge that they have inspired.With the mysterious American begins the first in a line of sinister yet sympathetic avengers found in Collins' work-most notably NO NAME and ARMADALE.Despite its unevenness,HIDE AND SEEK is Collins' first memorable work and hopefully will receive the notice it deserves.
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