Heart and Science by Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins’ later works frequently address societal themes in addition to the straightforward narrative, but the greatest of them, as more and more reviewers are arguing, are still readable and thought-provoking today as they were when they were originally published. This is especially true of Collins’ 1883 book Heart and Science, which he ranked right up there with his masterpiece The Woman in White.
Heart and Science by Wilkie Collins
16 used from $4.28
Amazon.com
- Used Book in Good Condition
The plot of Heart and Science is around what happens to the orphaned Carmina Graywell, who is left in the care of her aunt and guardian Mrs. Gallilee after her fiancé is compelled to travel for a prolonged period of time to Canada’s drier climates in order to recover his health. Mrs. Gallilee devises plans to manipulate, subjugate, and ultimately destroy the innocent but resolute Carmina over the matter of her inheritance. The plot is complicated by the schemes of Dr. Benjulia, a dark genius whose intense passion for the study of brain disorders leads him to encourage the progression of Carmina’s life-threatening brain illness for the purpose of scientific observation; the story builds to a pair of spectacularly gory climactic scenes.
Collin’s book addresses the controversy surrounding what he refers to as “the hideous secrets of vivisection” with a passionate intensity that was inspired in large part by the famous 1880s case of a doctor who was exonerated of charges brought under the new Cruelty to Animals Act for performing live animal experiments without a permit. The appendices of this edition contain excerpts from a contemporary report of this trial, as well as additional materials related to the vivisectionist debate and several current book reviews. A thorough introduction, a chronology, explanations, and a note on the text are also included in this edition.
The conflict between two strong-willed women described in Heart and Science will resonate with contemporary readers on a sympathetic level, as will the book’s vivisectionist theme, which has direct similarities to the current animal welfare/animal rights arguments.
