Welcome to the Blog and a Discussion of Poor Miss Finch

 I want to share a bit about what you can expect from this blog. 

I am a historian and a lover of classic literature. My historical foci are social and literary history of the nineteenth century. These areas of history will be themes of this blog. Because classic literature was a part of history, I will also write about literary works - especially, but not limited to, works of the nineteenth century. I believe we need more historical and literary studies in our world today. I want this blog to show why history and classic literature are important. Please note: the posts I share may contain spoilers of the works.

I am going to begin this blog with today's post about the novel Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins. I, just today, finished my reading of this classic work. Wilkie Collins was a nineteenth-century, British sensationalist author. Edgar Allan Poe was the inventor of detective fiction, with his short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." Around twenty years later, Wilkie Collins wrote The Moonstone, the first full-length detective novel. His use of page breaks and pauses kept his readers wanting to read what came next in his novels. I consider him one of the first thriller writers. 

I began reading Wilkie Collins novels around three years ago, thanks to his monumental work The Woman in White being mentioned by the author of a book I had read. (The Woman in White was so monumental, in fact, that the title is written on his tombstone). Being interested in the history of asylums (a theme of The Woman in White), I had to read this classic novel. I became hooked on Collins' writing. I am still regularly reading Wilkie Collins' novels. Like his friend Charles Dickens, Collins wrote several. My latest reading was, of course, Poor Miss Finch. 

There are a few areas for interesting historical research in Poor Miss Finch. The first, a study undertaken by Collins himself, is a study of the understanding of physical blindness throughout history. The protagonist of the novel is blind. Collins' purpose was to show what studies had stated - sometimes people who have been without their vision for most or all of their life are more content with not being able to see than they are with being able to see. At least, that was the conclusion he drew in the nineteenth century. My Oxford World's Classics edition provides an interesting essay by Catherine Peters that discusses such studies. 

Another area of historical research which I, as a collector of antique medicine bottles, found fascinating is the use of Nitrate of Silver to treat epileptic seizures. I did a bit of research on this medication. It was not used for long. It was replaced by a better treatment - one that did not have a side effect unique to silver. Nitrate of Silver, as happens to a character in Poor Miss Finch, could turn the skin of the patient blue. 

The narrator of Poor Miss Finch is a historical study in and of herself. Readers of the novel may find themselves researching nineteenth-century, Italian conflicts after reading Madame Pratolungo's history. I, myself, love her independent attitude. Her history is an important part of this. 

Something I, as a scholar of Oscar Wilde history, found particularly interesting was a note in Peters' introductory essay about John Ruskin's dislike of Poor Miss Finch. Ruskin, according to Peters, considered the novel too extravagant and morbid. This interests me because Ruskin was a professor of and influence on Wilde, who, himself, could be quite extravagant and even morbid at times. I love it when my various studies merge. 

Aside from the historical studies within the pages of Poor Miss Finch, the novel is also a fascinating study of different types and levels of fear and anxiety. This also attracted me. I recognized an important theme of human nature (perhaps with bits of narcissism thrown in for good measure). The idea that brought tears to my eyes was that of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. 

I encourage anyone who is interested in nineteenth-century history and wonderful works of literature to delve into the world of Poor Miss Finch. I welcome your comments and ideas as well. Happy Reading!