Bob Simon: - I had difficulty getting into the book. I had trouble with Bettenger's Yorkshire dialect. But I became fascinated by the many plots and the different perspectives of the different characters.
The book also exposed many different cultural and social tensions within English society in the 19th century. The most obvious example was the suicide by Ms. Steadman because she loved Mr. Franklin and could not tell him of her love because she was not of his class and held an inferior position of servility as a housemaid. I thought Collins' delving into the dynamics of English society was interesting and quite
radical.
The plot was well developed but I had difficulty understanding some of the colloquial use of words and syntax unique to the period. Grade – A
Karl - See review attached
Grade - B?
Bob Woods - I did not read the book in depth, I scanned it. I found that it had a number of interesting innovations, now found in many books.
I though the quicksand was unnecessary but added a mysterious element to the plot.
The English was excellent for the times.
Grade - B+
Ron - It is a period piece. I liked the narrative. The length was too drawn out for a modern reader. It is a second tier novel Grade - B
Charlie - It is an important book but I can't stand Victorian novels, including his friend Dickens. I could only recommend this book to Dickens and Victorian aficionados. 