Book Review - The Woman in White

Nora Ephron made me read this book.  She described her reading experience in one of her essays and I could not wait to get my hands on it.  The book was hidden in the library shelves and still had one of those stamp pads in the back from old timey library days. 

I judged this book by it's cover.  It was tiny.  No picture at all on the cover.  It was that weird, pebble like plastic-leather stuff .  The print was tiny.  I am way on too old for tiny print.  (I am not old enough for large print yet though.)  I just could not get into it.  And I felt really bad about it.  It was just the kind of book I should like.  I mean come on, Nora Ephron?  If the person who wrote 'When Harry Met Sally" thinks something is good, you kinda have to assume she's right...right?  But I gave up.

And then I tried again.  While feeding my current addiction to all things Sherlock Holmes, I stumbled upon the Kindle edition Of The Woman in White.  Here's the thing about the Kindle.  All books read the same.  Old books don't look or feel old.  So I loaded it up (for free!)  and took it with me on vacation.

Oh good grief!!!  It was awesome!!!

It's this really great mystery which would be totally screwed up by today's DNA and other detective stuff but was totally legit in 1860.   There is a lowly art teacher named Walter Hartwright, a few young ladys, a mean dude name Percyval (for reals) and a count.  Seriously!!! Have you ever read anything with a count that wasn't fantastic?  No.  You haven't.  There is mistaken identity, insane asylums, secret mail and 500 pages worth of YEAH.  The mystery unravels to a very quaint climx.  The kind of scandal that would not even phase a modern day five year old.  And then it has a sweet, good ending.  With a fat, happy baby as all books should end with. 

Get a Kindle.  Get a Nook.  Get an iPad.  Just get something digital and read this one.  I'll give you a dollar if you don't like it.