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Welcome to the first week of our discussion of No Name. This week covers the first 6 chapters of Scene One.

Chapter summaries (beware spoilers):
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1. Early morning at a house in Combe-Raven in Somerset. The house starts to wake and its characters are introduced in the order they appear, first the dog, then the servants, then Andrew Vanstone, the master of the house, a cheerful man, aged around 50. He goes out for a walk. Next Miss Garth, the family’s governess. At around 9.20 a.m., Mrs Vanstone and her elder daughter Norah, aged 26. Just before 10, the younger daughter Magdalen, aged 18. At breakfast Magdalen is told she is late again, and says she enjoys pleasure. They discuss the concert they attended the previous night, a Beethoven symphony with a singer (so presumably the 9th). Mr Vanstone describes Magdalen as an unbroken filly. Magdalen goes out to collect the post. Mr Vanstone has a letter from New Orleans and refuses to discuss its contents. Mr and Mrs Vanstone remain at table to discuss it, and when Mrs Vanstone emerges she says that the two of them are going to London on family business the next day. Mr Vanstone locks himself in his study.

2. Next morning Norah and Magdalen watch their parents depart without having heard anything more about the family business. Miss Garth takes charge. In the afternoon they go for a walk and meet a strange man, who follows them back to the house. He addresses Miss Garth, who tells him the Vanstones are in London. He gives her a card to enclose in her next letter, which just says Captain Wragge and the name of a post office.

3. Miss Garth is suspicious of Captain Wragge but sends the letter. Mrs Vanstone’s reply explains that he is the child of an earlier marriage of her mother’s first husband. She admits helping him financially from her own savings to prevent him exploiting her husband’s good nature. She explains that she is in London to see a doctor who can help her with a pregnancy that she thinks will harm her. She asks Miss Garth to keep this confidential.

4. Mr and Mrs Vanstone return looking happier, but refuse to discuss their trip. A gentleman neighbour, Mr Francis Clare, comes to call. He is a widower with three grown up sons, who likes to argue with Mr Vanstone. He has a low opinion of his sons Frank, Cecil and Arthur, but Mr Vanstone has helped with their schooling and has arranged an engineering apprenticeship for the eldest son Frank. Clare has bet Vanstone that Frank will squander this opportunity. Clare is proved right when he returns, and Frank calls on the Vanstones the next day. Mr Vanstone is forgiving. They are interrupted by the announcement of visitors, Mr, Mrs and Miss Marrable of Clifton. Vanstone says they are acquaintances of little consequence, and says he will talk to Frank privately. After a while they are interrupted by Magdalen, who explains that they are staging a private theatrical performance of The Rivals, and have asked her to perform in it. Magdalen has also suggested Frank for the remaining unfilled part, to which Frank reluctantly agrees.

5. Miss Marrable is a spoilt only child, and the play is in honour of her 17th birthday. The performance is only a few days away, so Mr Vanstone accedes, and says that he and Norah will attend. Frank doubts that he is capable of acting, Norah fears that he will get close to Magdalen. Magdalen takes her role seriously, studying the book while a maid combs her hair. She also tries to coach Frank. Miss Garth offers to act as Magdalen’s chaperone at the rehearsals.

6. At the rehearsal. The first few actors are disastrous, but Magdalen impresses and is willing to listen. She attempts to coach Frank through his part. The somewhat miscast actress playing Julia resigns her part, and Magdalen offers to replace her and perform two roles. At the performance, Magdalen does well, but Norah recognises herself in the part Magdalen is playing. Afterwards the theatrical agent who has been directing gives Magdalen his card. They depart, and Magdalen asks Frank to meet her the next morning.
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I liked the family breakfast scene , both for its description and for its use by the author to introduce characters. We get another example of how different in character and temperament can siblings be even if they got the same upbringing.

Norah seems to be serious minded and Magdalen, pampered child of the family. I like the pace of the book as Collins introduces the plot also through the arrival of letters.

I enjoy the wide space given to the story to unfold. When you read a lot of short fiction (as many of us do), it’s refreshing to change pace and sink into detailed observations and conversations.

I wouldn’t want all my reading to be like this, but I’m enjoying it here. Having said that, the intrigue built fairly soon off the block with the arrival of Mr. Wragge.

I did like the opening a lot, but it does take a while for anything interesting to happen. Plenty of seeds being sown but not much action at this stage.

Great opening of the story. Unlike his epistolary novels, the third person narrator gives Collins a chance to reveal his precise detailed descriptive skills. I prefer this style for Collins.
I loved the long luxurious set up for the characters, especially as it is not what I anticipated from the plot description and also because it sets up the characters and their setting for the upcoming plot.
This is a 700+ page novel so I expect luxurious pacing - so far Collins is filling the space quite well.

I found Francis Clare hilarious.

I was wanting to hear more about the trip and why it was so secretive! The extensive diversion into the play was a bit long, I thought. I did enjoy the descriptions of the characters, Magdalen seems a bit exhausting! The hair brushing! And poor Frank, I suspect there is more to come with his role in the Vanstone family. The only thing interesting about Francis Clare was the fact that his entire dwelling was wall to wall books - jealous!

I've finally finished this first section. My first Collins and I've been pulled in! It's been awhile since I've read a chunkster, and a classic at that, and I'm quite enjoying the opening scenes so far. My favorite characters so far are Magdalen and Frank, probably because their scenes have been humorous, which has been a pleasant surprise. I laughed at Magdalen suddenly turning so serious as to walk up the staircase instead of running as she now considers herself a serious actress. And then poor Frank being pulled into the acting gig, standing there so awkwardly and asking that his father not find out.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how Magdalen's acting career proceeds, what becomes of Frank in the midst of her energetic nature, and also finding out more about Mrs Vanstone's pregnancy and the reason for the secretive trip to London.