Woman in White, The The

Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, written in 1859, is considered to be among the first mystery novels and one of the finest examples of the sensation novel, a genre blending realism and gothic romance, and exploring the artificiality of identity. In it, a young protagonist, Walter Hartright, meets a mysterious woman dressed all in white on a London street at midnight. After helping her return home, he learns from police that she has escaped from an asylum. Later, Walter takes a job as an art tutor to two young women, one of whom bears a strong resemblance to the woman in white. Considered to be Collins' finest novel along with The Moonstone.