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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
🎧📚
(Rating: 4.5/5 stars)
Wow! Wow wow wow. Honestly. I have never been so thrown and confused by a book as I was this one, only to have the carpet yanked from under my feet at the last moment once again. An absolutely fantastic piece of detective fiction!
I found the themes that it played with, foreignness, drug addiction, class, sexes, memory and philosophy, and scientific experiment (among a few) fascinating. Yes, it is a classic novel so there are a few problematic things, but I find the way that Collins constructed the characters to be very fresh and new for classic literature!
And, even though I am done reading, I still have a million questions that have been unanswered. That is the result of a fantastic detective novel friends!
Highly highly recommend!!!
(Rating: 4.5/5 stars)
Wow! Wow wow wow. Honestly. I have never been so thrown and confused by a book as I was this one, only to have the carpet yanked from under my feet at the last moment once again. An absolutely fantastic piece of detective fiction!
I found the themes that it played with, foreignness, drug addiction, class, sexes, memory and philosophy, and scientific experiment (among a few) fascinating. Yes, it is a classic novel so there are a few problematic things, but I find the way that Collins constructed the characters to be very fresh and new for classic literature!
And, even though I am done reading, I still have a million questions that have been unanswered. That is the result of a fantastic detective novel friends!
Highly highly recommend!!!
Most of what I would say about this novel is in the other reviews. The manner in which the perpetrator was eventually identified was overly contrived, in my opinion, but because it is the first of a genre it created, I wouldn't make too much of that. The thing I appreciated most about it was that it was written in the time, not a recreation of a period, so it reflects actual culture and perceptions of the 1800s
A mystery novel told in epistolary form. I love both the genre and the format, and I was not disappointed. It loses a bit of steam towards the end with a few too many convolutions, and yeah, there are some dated views (it was written in 1868), but the first two narrative voices make up for it; Betteredge, the first narrator, is an absolute DELIGHT. I keep being surprised when English classics are actually enjoyable, but I really shouldn't be.
The story was well done but is a bit slow for the modern day reader. I prefer The Woman In White.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
“We had our breakfasts--whatever happens in a house, robbery or murder, it doesn't matter, you must have your breakfast.”
I had high hopes for what is sometimes touted as the Anglophone world's first detective novel (not 100% sure this is the case, but it's certainly an early version). The Moonstone centres around...yes you guessed it... a moonstone. A giant diamond with a dubious history (aren't all diamonds of dubious origin ahem the Hope Diamond?!), brought from India to England only to plague, curse, kill and torture those who possess it... before doing a disappearing act at the birthday party when it was meant to be presented to its new heiress.
So starts a long, twisty, messy whirlwind of theft, romance and intrigue. This is a heist story wrapped in a detective novel with bits of romance inserted from time to time. The story takes place over more than a year and is told through multiple narrators.
While I enjoyed it, I wasn't blown away by it. I think it's a good idea to read this early foray into the genre, but after reading so many 20th and 21st-century mystery stories, it's hard to be blown away. I kept having to remind myself that this was all so new back in the 1800s, and trying to look at it through that perspective (hence the extra star, as it was really more of a 3 star read for me, to be honest. I've rounded up here).
Betteridge is the best character/narrator, and the old servant with his bizarre Robinson Crusoe obsession was both clear-headed and offered plenty of comic relief. The lawyer Bruff was good, and so was the police sergeant, who, unlike those bumbling policemen who'd trip and fall their way through Sherlock Holmes, actually had head his head screwed on.
I didn't love the female characters, and Collins' characterisation of Rosanna Spearman who just didn't feel like a real woman - but rather the preceding "sensation" or "romantic" novels of decades and centuries past. At one point Collins is oddly self-aware of the ridiculousness of such styles, saying, “'I won’t faint just to oblige you,' were her exact words." (I must say, I got a chuckle out of that). Rachal was better written (of course the wealthy woman was better written & characterised) but she wasn't a nice person and was quite off-putting.
The "clever" reveals were okay but not amazing - and so, so very 1800s but I was actually okay with the end . I did not guess how it was done or who did it, but that might be more on me listening to the audiobook while I was working (a week of copy-pasting - an audiobook was essential for my sanity!), and so maybe not giving the book my entire focus.
Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone who likes classics, mysteries, the Victorian era or is simply curious about the rise of detective fiction - but The Woman in White is still my favourite of Wilkie Collins!
I had high hopes for what is sometimes touted as the Anglophone world's first detective novel (not 100% sure this is the case, but it's certainly an early version). The Moonstone centres around...yes you guessed it... a moonstone. A giant diamond with a dubious history (aren't all diamonds of dubious origin ahem the Hope Diamond?!), brought from India to England only to plague, curse, kill and torture those who possess it... before doing a disappearing act at the birthday party when it was meant to be presented to its new heiress.
So starts a long, twisty, messy whirlwind of theft, romance and intrigue. This is a heist story wrapped in a detective novel with bits of romance inserted from time to time. The story takes place over more than a year and is told through multiple narrators.
While I enjoyed it, I wasn't blown away by it. I think it's a good idea to read this early foray into the genre, but after reading so many 20th and 21st-century mystery stories, it's hard to be blown away. I kept having to remind myself that this was all so new back in the 1800s, and trying to look at it through that perspective (hence the extra star, as it was really more of a 3 star read for me, to be honest. I've rounded up here).
Betteridge is the best character/narrator, and the old servant with his bizarre Robinson Crusoe obsession was both clear-headed and offered plenty of comic relief. The lawyer Bruff was good, and so was the police sergeant, who, unlike those bumbling policemen who'd trip and fall their way through Sherlock Holmes, actually had head his head screwed on.
I didn't love the female characters, and Collins' characterisation of Rosanna Spearman who
Spoiler
killed herself of unrequited loveThe "clever" reveals were okay but not amazing - and so, so very 1800s
Spoiler
I mean, opium? Disguises? Trances? haSpoiler
in that the Indian diamond was on its way back to IndiaOverall, I'd recommend it to anyone who likes classics, mysteries, the Victorian era or is simply curious about the rise of detective fiction - but The Woman in White is still my favourite of Wilkie Collins!
I liked the plot better than the characters (couldn't really find anyone to like, which was frustrating), but even it had a couple of silly points to it. I liked the structure, with all the different narratives.
The book in general was okay and the longest it is indeed due to very unnecessary things being described by the characters.
Reading this in 2022 you realize the author is a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, fat phobic and a pedophile. In this book on various point he had belittled women as object of desire. And Rachel is marrying her own cousin in a way was the cherry on the top.
Taking a female point of view the author keeps belittling women by using Christianity as an excuse.
At one point I was deciding on whether when I complete the book will I donate it or burn it or just throw it in the trash because for a classic this does not qualify as a classic and should never have been greenlighted for publishing even though at the beginning of the book there is a warning of how fucked up the author was and lost his head and died. This should have been a clue to the red flags parading in each chapters.
Back then women were not allowed to be lawyers so the author wrote this: "you would have done great in my profession if you happened to be a man".
The author perfectly described how to shove Christianity down someone throat saying it is their mission to insist and make people agree with their ridiculous notion of Christianity.
The funniest thing the author as a man wrote he believed men to be superior creatures which is a joke in itself as men are the weaker of all creatures.
I did not enjoy the chapters written by Miss Clack as she was a horrible person. Getting someone to read your book recommendations is one thing but to harass someone like this is psychotic.
Why the author thought he knew women is beyond my understanding.
One real life reference in the book is about how British people hopefully so like to steal from India and never returning what they stole from this country.
The author wrote this is the end of the letter and yet wrote a whole ass unnecessary chapter on it was really testing my patience.
The worse plot twist had to be secretly taking opium and relating it to the stolen diamond. If people were blown away by this ridiculous notion then the bar for plot twist is very low for some readers back then.
The Indian's rightfully took back their diamond to their country of origin had to be the best conclusion of the book.
Reading this in 2022 you realize the author is a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, fat phobic and a pedophile. In this book on various point he had belittled women as object of desire. And Rachel is marrying her own cousin in a way was the cherry on the top.
Taking a female point of view the author keeps belittling women by using Christianity as an excuse.
At one point I was deciding on whether when I complete the book will I donate it or burn it or just throw it in the trash because for a classic this does not qualify as a classic and should never have been greenlighted for publishing even though at the beginning of the book there is a warning of how fucked up the author was and lost his head and died. This should have been a clue to the red flags parading in each chapters.
Back then women were not allowed to be lawyers so the author wrote this: "you would have done great in my profession if you happened to be a man".
The author perfectly described how to shove Christianity down someone throat saying it is their mission to insist and make people agree with their ridiculous notion of Christianity.
The funniest thing the author as a man wrote he believed men to be superior creatures which is a joke in itself as men are the weaker of all creatures.
I did not enjoy the chapters written by Miss Clack as she was a horrible person. Getting someone to read your book recommendations is one thing but to harass someone like this is psychotic.
Why the author thought he knew women is beyond my understanding.
One real life reference in the book is about how British people hopefully so like to steal from India and never returning what they stole from this country.
The author wrote this is the end of the letter and yet wrote a whole ass unnecessary chapter on it was really testing my patience.
The worse plot twist had to be secretly taking opium and relating it to the stolen diamond. If people were blown away by this ridiculous notion then the bar for plot twist is very low for some readers back then.
The Indian's rightfully took back their diamond to their country of origin had to be the best conclusion of the book.
The Moonstone is considered by many to be the first detective novel, and it focuses on a large yellow diamond that was looted from an Indian temple and bequeathed to Rachel Verinder on her 18th birthday. The diamond is thought to be cursed, and it certainly brings about bad luck on the many people whose lives it has touched. The story is told through multiple narratives, and it is intricately plotted with many twists and turns. I loved how everything turned out in the end.
Although the start took a bit long, in my opinion, because Mr Betteredge's narrative was rather longwinded. The end, when the mystery is solved bit by bit, read much more pleasant. Nonetheless, the characters didn't grip me, they somehow remained indistinct, making it harder to take an interest in them. Every character has one oddity, which is alright, but becomes a bit obvious after a while. The structure with the different narrators is a good find, though it is a bit incoherent at the end. The novel is clearly plotdriven, and the plot works very well indeed. The ending is nicely done, closing the circle where the narrative began.
Published in 1868, The Moonstone” easily holds its place as one of the best detective stories ever written. The story is a page turner, twisting and turning its way through thievery and betrayal, murder and suicide, romance and marriage. The large cast of characters, including mysterious foreign priests, a snappy hilarious butler, a competent heroine, a detective with unusually brilliant insights, a street urchin with rolling eyeballs and so on - sparkle with satire, humanity and humor in their search for a cursed jewel.