The Narrator and The Writer

Right now I am reading Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White.  It has me enthralled.  For one, the mysteries woven are perfection.  The woman in question is superbly formed.  The victim is someone I want to comfort and protect.  The lovers I want to push together and I cheer for them from page one to page 630.

But as a writer, Collins' work has something more.  It has a unique perspective of narration that brings me to highly recommend it to you as a piece of study.  Almost every character has their turn as speaking to the reader, be it through first person chapter or in the form of a letter printed in the book.  But, surprisingly, most get the chance in the form of their own first person chapter.

Collins writes The Woman in White almost as an official document.  He uses his narrators to tell the story of Laura Fairlie and the Woman in White, who coexist and have interlacing lives.  He weaves mystery and near-supernatural events at times, all using a change of narrator to do so.

But what Collins does that is so brilliant is not only change narrator to change perspective, but change voice with each narrator.  Walter Hartright speaks like a vibrant young man, long-winded at times and a bit heartsick.  Ms. Halcombe speaks like the strong woman she is, sister to the victim and a woman at odds with her role in society.  Even the lower classes are given a voice by Collins, and they speak from their place: with deference and extra words not necessary to the conveyance of meaning.

So this rambling brings me to my question: how big of a role does your narrator play?  Is your narrator a character or simply a means of getting the story told?  Do you break it down as neatly and completely as Collins did?

For our readers (and maybe non-writers), have you read The Woman in White?  What did you think of it?  I believe it is a seminal piece of literature, especially in the mystery/suspense genre.  However, it has been said that Collins was a great storyteller, but not a great writer.  What do you think?

I hope I have given you a lot to think about today.  If you haven't picked up this book, do so!  I have a copy up for swap on my bookshelf at PaperbackSwap.