Hide and Seek

Wilkie Collins (1824 - 1889)

The artist Valentine Blyth has a very generous heart. He lovingly cares for his invalid wife, rescues a deaf orphan girl from maltreatment in a traveling circus and adopts her, and mentors a young man who gets in trouble with his tyrannical father. The girl, who received the nickname ‚Madonna’, falls in love with the young man, Zack. Because one of Valentine’s biggest fears is that Madonna’s blood relations will one day trace her and take her away from his home, he keeps the little that he knows of her origins a strict secret. One day, Zack befriends a mysterious stranger, who has just returned from years of rough life in the American wilderness. From that moment, the plot thickens, in mid-19th century dramatic style.

This is Wilkie Collins’ third published novel (1854, read from the 1861 edition). Summary by Anna Simon

Genre(s): Literary Fiction

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Preface to the revised edition Anna Simon
00:04:05
Play 01 Opening Chapter. A child's sunday Anna Simon
00:37:50
Play 02 Book I - Chapter I. A new neighborhood, and a strange character Anna Simon
00:34:10
Play 03 Book I - Chapter II. Mr. Blyth in his studio Anna Simon
00:26:35
Play 04 Book I - Chapter III. Madonna's childhood Anna Simon
00:40:06
Play 05 Book I - Chapter IV. Madonna's mother Anna Simon
00:40:19
Play 06 Book I - Chapter V. Madonna's misfortune Anna Simon
00:29:48
Play 07 Book I - Chapter VI. Madonna goes to London Anna Simon
00:32:12
Play 08 Book I - Chapter VII. Madonna in her new home Anna Simon
00:18:01
Play 09 Book I - Chapter VIII. Mentor and Telemachus Anna Simon
00:20:36
Play 10 Book I - Chapter IX. The tribulations of Zack Anna Simon
00:17:35
Play 11 Book I - Chapter X. Mr Blyth's drawing academy Anna Simon
00:38:26
Play 12 Book I - Chapter XI. The brewing of the storm Anna Simon
00:42:14
Play 13 Book II - Chapter I. The man with the black skull-cap Anna Simon
00:32:30
Play 14 Book II - Chapter II. The prodigal's return Anna Simon
00:20:05
Play 15 Book II - Chapter III. The search begun Anna Simon
00:33:45
Play 16 Book II - Chapter IV. Fate works, with Zack for an instrument Anna Simon
00:25:42
Play 17 Book II - Chapter V. Fate works, with Mr. Blyth for an instrument Anna Simon
00:49:23
Play 18 Book II - Chapter VI. The finding of the clue Anna Simon
00:15:41
Play 19 Book II - Chapter VII. The box of letters Anna Simon
00:19:56
Play 20 Book II - Chapter VIII. Joanna Grice's narrative Anna Simon
00:41:11
Play 21 Book II - Chapter IX. More discoveries Anna Simon
00:25:54
Play 22 Book II - Chapter X. The squaw's mixture Anna Simon
00:41:14
Play 23 Book II - Chapter XI. The garden door Anna Simon
00:41:34
Play 24 Book II - Chapter XII. The hair bracelet Anna Simon
00:27:08
Play 25 Book II - Chapter XIII. The search for Arthur Carr Anna Simon
00:29:18
Play 26 Book II - Chapter XIV. Mary's grave Anna Simon
00:50:23
Play 27 Book II - Chapter XV. The discovery of Arthur Carr Anna Simon
00:35:28
Play 28 Book II - Chapter XVI. The day of reckoning Anna Simon
00:18:38
Play 29 Book II - Chapter XVII. Matthew Grice's revenge Anna Simon
00:30:13
Play 30 Closing Chapter. A year and a half afterwards Anna Simon
00:16:00