Reviews

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

meglybcoul's review against another edition

4.0

I read this because it kept getting mentioned in more modern mystery novels and I get most of the hype: it was one of the first detective books, it’s surprisingly funny and the mystery is interesting enough. That being said, it did feel a bit long-winded now and again because it got so detailed and there were so many subsequent narrators. It’s also a product of its times, and it discusses women and Indians in exactly the way you’d expect a novel first published in 1868 to do so. If you like mysteries, it’s worth a read.

zoer03's review against another edition

5.0

Wow what a novel!... what a book. I thought I liked Wilkie Collins now I know I respect and admire and love his novels. Just how brilliant he draws you and leads you on... how wonderful all his characters are. He is the grandfather of all detective fiction... love love love it..

bookishlybeauty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

kellybovich's review against another edition

5.0

I loved the style and some parts were laugh out loud funny. The character development was well timed and the resolution was satisfying. The 40 pages of preface were unnecessary and the end notes in this version didn’t really add much. I’d look for a version with better notes. Overall a great read.

the_dire_raven's review against another edition

funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

kbrown730's review against another edition

funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

moonlitnights21's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

samble's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

(3.35) not really a detective novel. interesting narrative framing device but it felt like the author wanted to write a drama more than a mystery. sexism and racism aside, the first narrative would have worked really well as a standalone story i feel:

if the actual solution to the mystery was that ms verinder did it to sell off her debts i feel it may have been an interesting subversion of expectations, and if the death of rachel were due to the scorn of mr blake it would have made for interesting social commentary for the time. however, no narrative seemed to top betteridge’s in terms of character or charm, and i managed to guess the thief by ~20% of the way through. the opium twist felt like something out of a sherlock knock off.

irisreads1996's review against another edition

Not in the mood at the minute :(

6teencand1es's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

cluedo but made worse by the epistolary