Intriguing opening chapters this is how much: I downloaded the Serial Reader app and d the first chapter so much I couldn't wait for the rest, so I downloaded the free Kindle copy dreadfully dull middle, and suspenseful and exciting horror towards the end. In some ways the writing feels very dated, in others, it still manages to shock and titillate.

I really Serial Reader, though! It's a new free app that delivers a new "issue," or section of a classic, to your phone every day, with the idea that it allows you to read books in short increments of no more than 20 minutes. Clean, pleasurable interface and reading experience, and it definitely makes tackling old classics you've been meaning to read feel less daunting and more manageable. Small selection so far, but they've just gotten started.

I downloaded the app because I posted a photo of A Tale of Two Cities to Litsy, and a couple of people told me they were reading it via SR. I love the idea of people doing that, since Dickens (and Wilkie Collins too) was so well known for having stories published via serials in newspapers. It's a modern day Victorian reading app! horror read-2016 serial-reader75 s Piyangie542 619

Wilkie Collins was an important Victorian mystery author. He contributed heavily toward the mystery genre becoming an indispensable author of the genre. Centuries later, he is still mostly noted for his association with the mystery genre. The Haunted Hotel is yet another proof to justify the linking of Collins with the genre.

Fusing drama, supernatural, and borrowed characteristics from gothic mystery, Collins creates a modern mystery of a haunted hotel. A ghost of a late English Lord haunts a newly opened hotel in Venice. When his family members come to stay there while holidaying in Venice he seems to be appealing to them for retribution. A suspicious finger is raised at his widow and her brother. Is it all conjecture or has the late Lord been truly murdered? This is the story of The Haunted Hotel.

It is a good mystery, methodically narrated, clearing up the puzzle step by step. The ending is indistinct, and that gives an overall mystifying effect. The story is presented dramatically with a touch of melodrama, reminding us of his love for theatre. There were a few strong characters to hold the reader's attention. The only problem I could find was the want of atmosphere. Collins has staged the story through the characters neglecting the atmosphere. It would have been more effective if he had created the ambiance of the haunted hotel and balanced the scale.

Overall it was an entertaining read, and I had quite a fun time reading it. As was said above the ending is indistinct, but I thought it suited this story (and this is coming from a person who favours decided endings :)). The Haunted Hotel is not the best work by Collins but it has enough merit to be worth your precious reading time.brittish-lit classical-mystery-detective-fiction61 s Maria Clara1,091 607

Misterio! Eso es lo que pensé al leer la sinopsis de este libro. Y, misterio hay, solo que a mi parecer a tardado mucho en aparecer. Creo que hubiera sido perfecto de ser más corto, más compacto, por decir algo; uno de esos libros que mantienen al lector pegado a las páginas solo por saber qué pasará a continuación. 45 s Amy | littledevonnook201 1,188

This is my third Wilkie Collins novel and I loved it just as much as the other two.

We follow the story of a family who have been told of their relative's death whilst on his honeymoon in Italy. None of them want to believe the letters confirming his death and they all begin to feel rather suspicious of his new wife; especially as rumours are spread around London regarding her past. They decide to set out to Italy themselves to uncover the mystery behind his death. On reaching the hotel each family member experiences something of the paranormal and they begin to question whether their relative really died in the innocent ways that have been described to them - the mystery deepens. What happened to their relative in the hotel? What will they uncover whilst sleeping under the roof where he died?

A brilliantly written and enjoyable read! I would highly recommend Collins to any lover of Agatha Christie!

classics60 s Tristram Shandy761 233

“The Countess now occupies the stage alone, and indulges in a soliloquy which develops her character.”

Wilkie Collins has always been a writer for me whose female characters – both the nice ones and the cunning ones – generally arouse deep interest within the reader. If I have ever fallen in love with a character from a novel, I have fallen in love with Collins’s Lydia Gwilt, who had an overwhelming presence in a novel I did not particularly . In The Haunted Hotel, a rather short novel, we have two central female characters: Shed all over in the brightest light of virtue and virtually dripping with the milk of human kindness (but also the camomile tea of boredom) we find Agnes Lockwood, and in the other corner, there is the infamous Countess Narona, a woman around whom dark rumours entwine and who has a cruel sparkle in her eyes (at least, at times). Between these two women, there is Lord Montbarry, who eventually jilts Agnes for the Countess and thereby signs his own death warrant.

In this short novel, Collins skilfully blends elements of horror with elements of mystery and has us witness a very intricate murder plot which seems to be inspired as much by circumstance as by the antagonistÂ’s propensity for evil. Let us listen once more to the Countess describing her own character:

”It is at once a dangerous and attractive character. Immense capacities for good are implanted in her nature, side by side with equally remarkable capacities for evil. It rests with circumstances to develop either the one or the other.”

Not only does this show that Collins avoids the use of one-dimensional scoundrels in favour of psychologically more interesting characters, but the Countess’s self-description is also remarkably typical of what a wrong-doer would say of himself: If only circumstances had been more favourable and I had been treated better by others, I would never have stooped to doing the things I eventually did. There may be a lot of truth in it, but it is also the common reasoning of most people – my bad actions are attributable to society, whereas my good ones are entirely my own merit. What is deplorable, however, is that, all in all, the Countess does not get a lot of time in the novel, and so we hardly have the opportunity to see her good inclinations wrestle with the darker sides of her soul. Maybe, to have stuck with the Countess more would have ruined the mystery plot to a certain degree, and that is why Collins decided against it.

Thinking about the writer’s decisions, one may say that the blend of mystery and the supernatural works well – although it has some deus ex machina effect and brings about poetical justice – but that the story does has some few lengths, which can mainly be put down to Collins’s having made the Lord’s family too large and having all sorts of minor characters – Montbarry family members and those linked to them by marriage – parade the stage and make matters unnecessarily complicated without really adding to the mystery. The last few chapters, however, will surely cast a spell on the reader and acquaint him with a murder plan that must have been extremely shocking to Collins’s contemporaries. Therefore, this little book is really worth taking a plunge.
classic-english-literature crimes-stories horror33 s Chris789 144

Enjoyed it more than The Moonstone, but it still was slow and plodding at times. A real gothic feel doesn't creep into the story into about 2/3 of the way into the reading, which then moves this from 2 stars to 3. This novella doesn't develop most of the characters fully, there are a few holes in the plot line which together leaves one not fully satisfied. A few surprises but most mystery aficionados will figure out most of what went on before the reveal. I suspect it was quite novel in its day. I did find the literary device used for a confession unique.

This was a catching up with the classics group read.classics gothic31 s2 comments Janelle1,353 280

I actually quite enjoyed reading this weird horror story although it was constructed in a way that made the conclusion less effective. Most of the characters are unable (including Agnes, for me anyway, the good woman of the story) and the most interesting characterÂ’s behaviour (the bad woman, Countess Narona) is never really fully explored. Some parts are atmospheric and it ended up a fun read.202325 s Krystal1,929 423

Ehhhhhhhhh not sure about this one!

Very slow on the suspense and intrigue and creepiness, but I was definitely suckered in by the foreshadowing. Absolutely fascinating characters, and I quite enjoyed the way the Countess was introduced, as it garnered instant sympathy for her and her troubled spirit.

Agnes was pretty bland, considering how much hinged on her, but it was balanced by the enigmatic Henry through his devotion to her.

The characters were all introduced in different contexts which really enhanced that idea that nothing was as it seemed. I d that I questioned everyone's motives, and each different tale. It was cleverly written, that's for sure.

I guess what I didn't was that it all felt a bit of an anti-climax to me. It's called 'The Haunted Hotel' but the hotel doesn't even exist until well over halfway through the story. The opening chapter was superb, but the rest was really dragged out. There just wasn't any horror, and aside from the missing courier there wasn't a great deal of mystery, either.

That ending though, wow! that really hooked me. I feel maybe that terrible, decaying head might haunt my dreams a little tonight

Overall, a decent expression of atmosphere and an okay tale of intrigue. If you're looking for horror or major chills, though, I'd probably look elsewhere.classics crime-suspense horror ...more25 s ? Irena ?1,652 221

3.5
The last chapters transform this story from decent to pretty good. The title promises ghosts, but the way that is handled is subtle and never in your face. The supernatural element is there, but it never gets the attention you'd expect in a story this.
I found some of the characters beyond annoying though.

The Haunted House is also a murder mystery. You are left questioning what you've read in the end.classics ghosts horror ...more21 s SilviaG364

Este libro de misterio ha sido mi lectura de Halloween de este año. Se trata de un libro no tan conocido de Wilkie Collins, pero a mi parecer, entretenido y bien escrito.
En la primera parte del libro, el autor nos presenta a los personajes, nos sitúa en la historia y en el momento en el acontece (época victoriana). Nos da a conocer a Agnes, una mujer joven, cuya vida ha cambiado drásticamente al verse abandonada por su prometido (Lord Montbarry). Éste ha conocido a la condesa Narona, y de forma improvisada, ha decidido casarse con ella.
La pareja decide viajar a Venecia, donde se aloja en un antiguo palacio. Lentamente, Lord Montbarry empieza a encontrarse enfermo, y finalmente, fallece.
Pero todo resulta extraño: la desaparición de un ayudante del lord, el oscuro hermano de la condesa, la vida disoluta de la condesa..... No es hasta que Agnes, junto a la familia de Lord Montbarry, deciden viajar a Venicia y alojarse en el palacio (ahora reconvertido en hotel), cuando empiecen a acontecer sucesos extraños, grotescas apariciones y sensaciones agónicas.clasicos lecturas-2020 literatura-reino-unido ...more20 s Cheryl1,026

Really 2 and 1/2 stars. This felt more an outline of a novel, as the characters were not well-developed nor very interesting. The two main female characters (Agnes and The Countess) were pretty annoying at times. There was a big "info dump" at the end that seemed lazy writing on the author's part. Not as well-written as some of the author's earlier books, and not as much fun to read. Don't start with this book, if you are new to Wilkie Collins. He does write some good novels - this book just isn't one of them.
15 s Zaphirenia286 209

Charming short novel by dear Wilkie Collins, full of drama, mystery, ghost story, social critique and good humour. Great page-turner with lovely language and very carefully structured to satisfy the reader with a well-deserved climactic ending. I absolutely love Collins for his ability to combine styles, themes and techniques in his books and cannot get enough of his excellent, very enjoyable writing.16 s Sean GibsonAuthor 6 books5,944

Copious quantities of creepy and overwrought Victorian shenanigans make this a fun read, even if itÂ’s not CollinsÂ’s best work.

Desiccated heads for the win!17 s George K.2,570 348

??????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ???????, ???? ??? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????? "? ???????? ??????" ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???????? ??????. ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ???????????? ???? ????????????? ????????? ????????? ?? ???????? ??????????? ??????, ?? ????? ??? ???????????? ?????? ?? ?????????? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????????. ? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ????????? ???????, ?? ?????? ???????? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ???????? ?????????????, ?????? ?????? ??????? ? ????????? ?????????? ?? ???????? ??? ??? ???????? ??????????? ??? ????????. ??? ??? ????, ? ??? ????????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ??????????????? ? ??????? ????? ???? ?????????? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ???? ????????? ?? ???? (????) ???? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????, ??? ??? ? ?????????? ????? ????? ??????????. ? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ?? (??????) ?????? ??????? ?????? ???, ???? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?????: ??? ??? ?? ????, ?????? ?????????? ???? ??? ????? ????????????? ????? ??? ??????????? ?????????? (?? ??? ??? ??? ???????? ????? ?????? ? ?? ????? ?? ??????? - ?? ????? ??? ????, ????!). ??????, ????????? ??? ??? ?????????? ??? ??????????? ?????????, ?? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ???????? ?????? ??? ?????????.horror15 s Gabyal535 7

Bueno, la narración de la historia me ha gustado, es muy fácil y rápido de leer, los personajes están bien logrados, para mí fue un libro de suspenso más que de miedo o de fantasmas , creo que era predecible lo que iba a suceder.cafeteria-audrey13 s SilveryTongue388 61

0,4 estrellas

Es una novela gótica y fiel a su época. Me recordó mucho a "Mi prima Rachel" de Daphne Du Maurier. Tienen mucho en común; Sin olvidar que esta fue escrita en 1878 y la de Du Maurier en 1951.

De lectura ágil, su desenlace no defrauda como muchas de su tiempo.

La recomiendo!2018-reads english-classics mystery-and-terror14 s Mari Carmen490 79

Una curiosidad entretenida, ideal para alternar lecturas pesadas.
Recomendable. 13 s Paradoxe406 114

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?? ???????????? ?????????? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??????????????? ????????? ??????????, ???? ????????? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ???? 6 ?????? ?????????. ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ??? ????????? ?? ?????????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???????? ??????? ???????? ????? ?? ?? ???????, ???? ??? ??? ????? ????????? ?????? ???? ?????. ?? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????, ??? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ????????? ? ???????. ??? ??????????? ?? ????????? ??? ?? ???????? ??? ???????? ???? ? ????? ??? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ??????? ??????? ??? ??? ???????, ???? ??????? ?? ??? ????????? ?????????? ??? ????. ?? ???? ??????????, ?? ????? ?????? ??????, ???? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?????????? ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ????? ????????. ?? ??????? ??? ?????. ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? 345 ??? ?? ?????????? ??? ???????, ????? ? ??????? ????? ??? ? ????????????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ????, ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????????? ??? ???????. ??????? ?? ?? Wiki ??????, ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????????? ??????????? ??? ???????, ?? ?? ???????, ?? ??????? ??? ?????????? ??????.

??????? ?? ?? ???????? ?????? ?????????????? ??? ??? ????? ??????? ??????????? ?? ?? ??????????. ?? ??? ????????? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ?????????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ????????, ? ?? ?? ????????, ?? ?????????? ????? ?????? ?’ ???? ??? ?????. ???? ??? ????? ??????????? ??? ???????. ??????, ?? ???????? ?? ?? ????????, ??? ?? ?? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ???????????? ? ?????? ??? ? ?????????? ??????? ( ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ) ? ???? ????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ??’ ?? ????? ???. ??????? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ????????? ??????? ????????, ???? ? ??????????? ????? ?????? ????, ??? ?????? ??? ???????? ??????????. ??? ??? ??????, ??? ??? ????. ??? ?????? – ?????? ???? ? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????????. ??? ?????????? ?? ????????? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ???????? ?????????, ???? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ???.

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????? ??????? ???? ??' ???? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ??????; ??????? ??? ????, ??? ??? ??????? ??? ??????. ??? ??? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ????????????, ??? ??????? ?? ??? ????????????: ????? ????? ???. ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???, ??????? ??? ?????? ???, ??????????? ???? ????? ???. ???????! ????????, ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ???????? - ??? ? ????? ??? ??? ??? ( ?? ?????????! ) ????? ???? ???, ??? ???????? ???. ?, ?? ??? ?????????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????????, ? ??? ?????! ?? ????? ?????? ??? ?????????, ??? ?????????, ??? ?????. ????? ??? ?? ????, ?? ?' ????????????. ????? ??? ?? ????

?? ??????????; ??????????????! ???? ???????, ????????????, ??????? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ??? ??????????. ??????? ??Â’ ???? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ????????. ???? ??? ???? ?????. ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???????????. ????? ???????? ??????, ???? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ??????????, ??? ????????????? ??? ????????????? ?? ??????? ????????, ???? ?? ?????? ???????? ??? ?? ?????????????, ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ???????, ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????. ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???????????, ?? ?????????? ???????, ? ???????? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????, ??? ??? ????????? ?????????? ????? ?? ????????? ?? ?????.

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14 s Danielle The Book Huntress 2,672 6,397

I d this story. It was multifaceted in that it was not just a haunted house story, but also a murder mystery. Collins builds the suspense and the feeling of curiosity that keeps the reader engaged. I found the writing to be far from dated. The language was not antiquated, but felt almost modern in some ways. The print for my copy is rather small, and that's the only reason I didn't read it faster. Yesterday, I kept saying, I'll read to this point, and to that point, before I knew it, it was quite late and I had to put the book down to go to bed.

I didn't find the prose melodramatic. Instead, I found that Collins is matter of fact in describing horrors. It's merely in the reading of such things that the horror is evoked. I was quite surprised at the horrible things that had occurred, and it wasn't due to that Campy Gothic or Victorian Penny Dreadful tendency to use outlandish language to evoke a dark, sinister tone. I d his subtle but hilarious humor, particularly in the part in which Francis Westwick goes to the room in question. I was laughing out loud on that part.

The Haunted Hotel starts out in an curious manner, with a false narrator. Which is quite brilliant. This beginning narrator never makes another appearance, and I was left to wonder how this plot thread would end up in the titular place. Further reading shows Collins' tendency to continuously introduce new point of views, leaving it up to the reader to see how it ties together. As I consider this novella, I wonder if this was not his way of revealing the intriguing character of the Countess through different eyes. So one cannot easily make up their mind about her. I have to admit that I felt sympathetic to her up to almost the end of the story. While what she does is completely heinous and terrible, I felt that her allegiance to her awful brother was no small factor in her moral failing. In the end, she seemed to merely live down to everyone's expectations of her, instead of reaching higher. Instead of staying true to what I felt was an inner cord of strength, she followed that fatal path to destruction. So I admit that in the end, I still pitied her despite her actions. I was in no small way surprised that she actually was guilty. I thought perhaps she was just a victim of a bad reputation. My feelings towards the Countess make me admire this story more for the clever way in which it was written.

Now an impatient reader will wish for Collins to get to the point, but I rather enjoyed the journey. I found the characters interesting, all of which evoking sympathy to some extent (except the Baron, who I found totally repugnant). Collins has a way of writing characters that is quite appealing to me. Even the lesser important characters come to life and earn their screen time when they come into the scenes. I enjoyed the roundabout way of presenting a story that was actually quite chilling in parts. I appreciated how intricately the mystery builds to a satisfying climax for this reader.

In the end, I was impressed with this novella by Mr. Collins. I will read more of his work because I think he has a way of writing mystery and suspense that is timeless, drawing me into his writing and not easily letting me go. His characters have impact and come to life for this reader, not sacrificed to a greater goal of evoking horror or terror, as can sometimes happen in this genre. I for one recommend this story to fans of classic/gothic horror and suspense.

Read out of The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories.2012-sky-s-the-limit-club classic-horror classic-horror-lovers-group-read ...more13 s Josefina Wagner519

Wilkie Collins den okudu?um ikinci eser . Harika bir anlat?m ve çevirme oldukça ba?ar?l? kesinlikle. Storytelden dinledim anlat?c? da çok iyiydi yani hepsi ola?an üstüydü. ?çerik çok sürükleyici.Merak içinde olsan?zda sabredebiliyorsunuz sonuna kadar. Burda ne anlatsam az gelir ne kadar tahminlerde bulunursan?z bulunun son daha ba?ka bitmesi tam bir sürpriz.19th-century-literature audiobook british-literatur ...more12 s Bren861 141

Me declaro fan de Wilkie Collins, no se puede negar que el hombre tenía una mente bastante retorcida.

Si bien este libro está catalogado como terror, es en un estilo muy típico de su época, no puedo evitar pensar en la gente sentada alrededor de la chimenea leyendo esto para pasar el rato y luego no dormir, es inevitable admirar que Collins a más de 100 años de distancia nos dejara un escrito donde se disfruta esa innegable capacidad para generar un ambiente tétrico, una enorme capacidad para generar suspense. Yo me inclinaría a catalogar este libro más en lo gótico, pero eso es lo de menos, el mejor categoría en el que entra es en el "de los buenos libros"

En independencia de que en la actualidad este libro podría resultar, incluso "ingenuo" refiriéndose al tiempo de terror que maneja, la realidad es que es lo que es innegable es que Collins tiene la enorme habilidad de mantener al lector pegado a la historia y sin darnos respiro.

El personaje de la condesa es tremendo, el final maravilloso y construido además de una manera magistral.

Una escritura maravillosa y muy entretenida, imposible parar de leer, una vez que comencé, no lo pude soltar (no sé si al final de mi vida voy a padecer más de problemas de cuello o de vista), simplemente me he bebido este libro y lo he leído en una tarde, productiva en lectura e improductiva en la vida cotidiana, pero soy honesta, ha valido la pena no lavar trastes, no cenar y dejar plantada a una amiga
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