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ketutar's review against another edition
4.0
I like Wilkie Collins.
This book would never have happened had the people just communicated with each other! So frustrating! Everyone just assumed things and no-one ever asked if their ideas and thoughts were true. *sigh*
This book would never have happened had the people just communicated with each other! So frustrating! Everyone just assumed things and no-one ever asked if their ideas and thoughts were true. *sigh*
tobymacl's review against another edition
5.0
Cracking read. Told through many voices and excellently read on audible audiobook. It’s a whodunnit with stinking twists and eccentric characterisations. All completely plausible and outlandish. Good bit of old world fun.
klebere's review
4.0
The Moonstone’s fate isn’t the most interesting part of the book—Collins excels at writing engaging narrators who you can’t help but root for.
kermittfrog's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laz_'s review against another edition
4.0
ok WOWWW this was such a ride. i love mysteries more than anything so obviously i loved this as it’s billed as the first modern english detective novel. it really functioned like a longer and victorian version of an agatha christie with multiple POVs. i was worried from the beginning that there would be more sexism and racism as the first narrator is um. NOT it but it is not prevalent in the rest of the novel and there are sympathetic portrayals that i never thought i’d see in a victorian novel as i’ve read more disgusting things in stuff less than a century old so that was interesting to see. i wasn’t interested in collins’ the woman in white before this, but as i’ve read this and loved his writing and how he weaves a mystery over 500+ pages i’m sold.
i think the downside to the multiple POVs was liking different narrators more than others but i ended up enjoying almost all of them and it actually gave a more nuanced and intriguing account of the story so i actually think more mystery writers should use it!!
brb going to get hooked on my little detective stories again
i think the downside to the multiple POVs was liking different narrators more than others but i ended up enjoying almost all of them and it actually gave a more nuanced and intriguing account of the story so i actually think more mystery writers should use it!!
brb going to get hooked on my little detective stories again
rmla's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know how anyone could give The Moonstone less than 5 stars - it's absolutely fantastic.
The style of narration must have been as enjoyable to write as it is to read (if not more!); the voices Collins creates are so interesting and also afford much humour at times. Also I found the use of documents, within narratives that are documents themselves, fascinating.
Considering The Moonstone is presented as the first detective novel in English Literature, I found the story no less gripping than a modern detective novel, probably more actually.
A must-read!
The style of narration must have been as enjoyable to write as it is to read (if not more!); the voices Collins creates are so interesting and also afford much humour at times. Also I found the use of documents, within narratives that are documents themselves, fascinating.
Considering The Moonstone is presented as the first detective novel in English Literature, I found the story no less gripping than a modern detective novel, probably more actually.
A must-read!
saint_augustine15's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
winterreader40's review against another edition
4.5
This follows the myth an mystery of the moonstone, from how it was originally stolen from the Indians to how it was given as a birthday gift and the stolen once again. We spend the majority of the story on the second theft and the people involved and their various relationships.
I really enjoyed the approach to the narrative in this book, each section is narrated by the person who's perspective we are following and with the exception of the religious nut in the second part they were all fun, intriguing or entertaining to read from.
I really enjoyed the approach to the narrative in this book, each section is narrated by the person who's perspective we are following and with the exception of the religious nut in the second part they were all fun, intriguing or entertaining to read from.
is_book_loring's review against another edition
3.0
The Moonstone was probably as much a study in characters as it was a detective story, because the narrative by half a dozen persons, albeit being very distinctive in tone and style, was written unnecessarily long and mendearing and most of the time had little to do with the central mystery, but more with the people themselves. It was skillfully done, still I couldn't help to sometimes jump over paragraphs. Perhaps if some of them hadn't irritated me so much with their annoying prejudices bordered on mysogny (I know, I know it's Victorian era, but Ms Clark's was insufferable and the butler's was not amusing to me), perhaps if the view taken on the native, original owners of the jewel who just wanted their sacred artifact stolen from them back as dark, sinister, alien thief, savage murderer, criminal, blabla was not overdone, maybe if the experiment to solve the mystery by the end made more sense, I might liked this first detective novel more. Well, at least the Indian people got their jewel back.
shroomgirl420's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25