Wilkie Collins, the master of the sensation novel, delivers one of his most intricate and dark masterpieces in Armadale. This expansive, multi-layered work is a mesmerizing tale of doomed identity, ruthless manipulation, and an inescapable family curse, set against the complex moral landscape of Victorian society. The narrative revolves around two young men, both named Allan Armadale, whose lives are intertwined by a terrible crime committed by their fathers—a secret that binds the sons to a prophecy of tragedy. One is a simple, wealthy gentleman; the other, Ozias Midwinter, is a brilliant, troubled man with a mysterious past.

The novel's terrifying and brilliant central force is Lydia Gwilt, one of the most chilling and complex villainesses in Victorian literature. Beautiful, calculating, and driven by an insatiable hunger for wealth, she overhears the secret linking the two men and constructs an elaborate plot to marry the wealthy Armadale, murder him, and secure his fortune. Armadale is built around this relentless cat-and-mouse game, as Lydia weaves a web of lies, forged documents, and assumed identities, maneuvering her victims toward their prophesied fate. Her schemes, involving poison, disguise, and psychological torture, propel the plot through dramatic settings from a secluded seaside village to a private asylum. Collins employs multiple viewpoints and unexpected revelations to maintain a fever pitch of suspense, using the tools of sensation fiction to explore profound themes of predestination versus free will. This sprawling saga is an unforgettable exploration of the dark undercurrents lurking beneath a respectable facade, guaranteed to captivate the reader with Lydia Gwilt’s machinations until the final, shocking twist.

Table of Contents:

• Armadale. Part 1

• Armadale. Part 2

• Armadale. Part 3

• Armadale. Part 4

• Armadale. Part 5

• Armadale. Part 6

• Armadale. Part 7

• Armadale. Part 8

• Armadale. Part 9

• Armadale. Part 10

• Armadale. Part 11

• Armadale. Part 12

• Armadale. Part 13

• Armadale. Part 14

• Armadale. Part 15