Reviews

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

stefaniacg's review

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 It's just that I can't stand Betteredge.

tamyra_s's review

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i only had to read the book halfway for class

rebeccazh's review against another edition

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read for school

ketutar's review against another edition

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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*

tobymacl's review against another edition

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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

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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

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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

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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

rmla's review against another edition

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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!

saint_augustine15's review

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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