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I actually read this book on my own in November. Collins writes a lot like Dickens - very wordy descriptions. Dickens was paid by the word originally; possibly so was Collins!
I just watched the masterpiece theater production last night from Netflix. It was good, but b/c of length a lot of the plot was changed - definitely don't watch it before you finish the book. The host said that Dickens challenged Collins to a contest - they'd each write a serial novel - Dickens wrote Tale of Two Cities; this was Collins' effort.
The beginning of the book does move pretty slowly but don't give up; even the early part about the Frenchman is important much later. The time Walter spends at Limerich is a little more interesting but it's still only a prelude to the real story! I listened to it as an audiobook (my e-reader is wrapped under the Christmas tree waiting for me!) and I couldn't tell how much longer the book was, and kept thinking I was almost to the end, and there was a whole lot more. I enjoyed the book immensely.
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