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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
File under "Victorians were freaking crazy, but at least it's fun to read about."
I feel like I should start with the obvious:
VICTORIAN CHARACTERS: Lovely, we've inherited this giant diamond stolen from India while our ancestors were on a pillaging rampage! And those dreadful Indians are being so threatening, trying to get it back from us.
MODERN READERS: Probably the right thing to do would be to give it back to the people it was stolen from.
VICTORIANS: But it's worth twenty thousand pounds.
MODERN READERS: Yeah, but. Not yours.
VICTORIANS: TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS. MINE.
Okay, but that aside: Wilkie Collins writes quite well, deftly exploring a number of different voices while piecing together the bizarre and seemingly inexplicable disappearance of the Moonstone, and the even more bizarre and inexplicable behavior of the people in the house at the time. Wordier than it needs to be? Probably, a little. But also an entertaining and crisply described mystery that would appeal to those who like Sherlock Holmes, for example--but published before the Sherlock Holmes stories. O, strange gentleman detectives of Victoriana! Such fun you are.
I feel like I should start with the obvious:
VICTORIAN CHARACTERS: Lovely, we've inherited this giant diamond stolen from India while our ancestors were on a pillaging rampage! And those dreadful Indians are being so threatening, trying to get it back from us.
MODERN READERS: Probably the right thing to do would be to give it back to the people it was stolen from.
VICTORIANS: But it's worth twenty thousand pounds.
MODERN READERS: Yeah, but. Not yours.
VICTORIANS: TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS. MINE.
Okay, but that aside: Wilkie Collins writes quite well, deftly exploring a number of different voices while piecing together the bizarre and seemingly inexplicable disappearance of the Moonstone, and the even more bizarre and inexplicable behavior of the people in the house at the time. Wordier than it needs to be? Probably, a little. But also an entertaining and crisply described mystery that would appeal to those who like Sherlock Holmes, for example--but published before the Sherlock Holmes stories. O, strange gentleman detectives of Victoriana! Such fun you are.
Great audiobook cast, and a wonderful set of characters! Quite a bit more fun than I had expected.
I continue to be fascinated by this novel, which seems to receive increasing attention in my field and, I hope, in folks who read Victorian novels for fun. It has been a blast teaching this, and I look forward to reading the student papers that are coming out of our class reading. I continue to believe that Miss Clack is one of the more under-appreciated characters in Victorian literature!
I have had The Moonstone on my TBR for such a long time. The 1868 novel by Wilkie Collins was hailed as the first ever full length detective/mystery novel written. I must say that it is no amateur attempt at mystery, but a masterclass in how to capture your audience with complex characters, a central mystery and subtext-rich plotlines.
The book opens with a prologue that gives us a glimpse of the lore behind The Moonstone. Being an Indian, I was pleasantly surprised by the respectful depiction of Indian culture. Of course, I had to give levy owing to the realism of the prejudices of the characters themselves. But, I can safely say that the author uses The Moonstone, a holy yellow diamond sacred to the Hindus associated with the Moon God, not just as a plot device to bring an eastern element to the story, but as a living entity with its own history and destiny. It's almost a cautionary tale with The Moonstone at the center.
Collins uses multiple perspectives in telling the tale of a cursed Indian diamond. Technically the novel is epistolary, but it didn't feel that way. The story is narrated by multiple characters who are involved in the mystery surrounding the theft of The Moonstone, when asked to regale the story by Mr. Franklin Blake, arguably the main protagonist of the novel. It is interesting to note that the characters already know the answer to the mystery that leaves the reader baffled. Their narration in the past tense is done brilliantly, they are not just re-telling an incident in their lives, but also giving glimpses into their own lives, opinions and biases, giving us at times a tilted view but entertaining us nonetheless.
Gabriel Betteredge, the steward of the Verinder Family is the person who opens the story and narrates almost half of it. It is through him that we get to know the Verinder Family, their cousins, and their lawyer, all involved in the mystery. Having served Lady Verinder for almost 40-50 years Betteredge is loyal, responsible and a realist. His love for Robinhood Crusoe which shows in his almost devotee like reverence to the novel is a point of comic relief along with his quirks and wandering mind that often leads his narration astray. He tells the story in as much an impassioned format as possible but at places his own personal remarks breaks through. It is a delight to read the story through his eyes.
Him, along with Miss Clack, who narrate after him, relay the tale with their characteristic quirk and judgements that makes the first half of the book witty and light-hearted, which reflects the tone of the first half. It reels you in with bright narration and a mysterious whodunit only to reveal the darker undertones of the second half with help of narration by Mr. Buff, the lawyer and Mr. Franklin himself. Where the first half tells an amusing tale of a family gathering gone wrong, the second half talks of greed, mortality, love, trust and more.
The novel also introduces the decorated detective trope for the very first time with Sergeant Cuff. The renowned detective is called to investigate the Missing Diamond and has to face many obstacles to uncover the truth. When you look at other famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, we often find them at the center of the mystery, and see the story revolve around them. With Sergeant Cuff we do get the cockiness, the quirks, and the fame of a decorated detective, but we also see him being humble, see him committing errors and accepting it. Basically, he is a well-rounded character who is larger than his occupation. We do see a demonstration of his brilliance, but that is not the center of attention, rather an addition to the story.
I recently read 'Sign of Four' by Arthur Connan Doyle which has so many similar plot points to The Moonstone that I wish I could ask Doyle if he was inspired by Collins' work. The central Indian treasure, Indians in London hunting for it, a damsel in distress and of course a famous detective solving it all.
----------x-----------
If we talk about the story in itself, it is nothing groundbreaking, but is rather a well-crafted mystery with enough central characters to toggle suspicion on. It all happens at a country house party and obviously the guests for the night, along with the servants are the main suspects. I am not usually good at pinpointing the culprit and honestly I don't try much either. I like to go with the flow and be surprised towards the end and this time was no different. Although when I looked back in retrospect there were enough foreshadowing to have given away the culprit if one indeed wanted to beat the novel to the punch.
I enjoyed the turbulence in every character and the interplay between them. They were not mere caricatures written to bring out one or two response from the reader. They were complex and multi-dimensional, capable of surprising the reader even towards the last few pages.
My only complaint is that we never see the true motives and feelings of one of the main female characters - Miss Rachel Verinder, from her own mind. We only see her through the eyes of others. She plays a huge role in the mystery and it is her actions and feelings that propels the long and tiresome quest for the lost diamond. And yet we never really get her perspective and know exactly what she is going through. I could understand the motive in clouding her thoughts in the first half, but I would have really enjoyed knowing her mind towards the end. The only glimpse we see of her in in her correspondence with Ezra Jennings, the town physician.
I do not want to reveal too much and spoil the book because it is a fantastic read. A perfect gothic mystery thriller that surprises you with its intent and implication. If you are a fan of the classics or mystery/detective fiction, try this for sure.
The book opens with a prologue that gives us a glimpse of the lore behind The Moonstone. Being an Indian, I was pleasantly surprised by the respectful depiction of Indian culture. Of course, I had to give levy owing to the realism of the prejudices of the characters themselves. But, I can safely say that the author uses The Moonstone, a holy yellow diamond sacred to the Hindus associated with the Moon God, not just as a plot device to bring an eastern element to the story, but as a living entity with its own history and destiny. It's almost a cautionary tale with The Moonstone at the center.
Collins uses multiple perspectives in telling the tale of a cursed Indian diamond. Technically the novel is epistolary, but it didn't feel that way. The story is narrated by multiple characters who are involved in the mystery surrounding the theft of The Moonstone, when asked to regale the story by Mr. Franklin Blake, arguably the main protagonist of the novel. It is interesting to note that the characters already know the answer to the mystery that leaves the reader baffled. Their narration in the past tense is done brilliantly, they are not just re-telling an incident in their lives, but also giving glimpses into their own lives, opinions and biases, giving us at times a tilted view but entertaining us nonetheless.
Gabriel Betteredge, the steward of the Verinder Family is the person who opens the story and narrates almost half of it. It is through him that we get to know the Verinder Family, their cousins, and their lawyer, all involved in the mystery. Having served Lady Verinder for almost 40-50 years Betteredge is loyal, responsible and a realist. His love for Robinhood Crusoe which shows in his almost devotee like reverence to the novel is a point of comic relief along with his quirks and wandering mind that often leads his narration astray. He tells the story in as much an impassioned format as possible but at places his own personal remarks breaks through. It is a delight to read the story through his eyes.
Him, along with Miss Clack, who narrate after him, relay the tale with their characteristic quirk and judgements that makes the first half of the book witty and light-hearted, which reflects the tone of the first half. It reels you in with bright narration and a mysterious whodunit only to reveal the darker undertones of the second half with help of narration by Mr. Buff, the lawyer and Mr. Franklin himself. Where the first half tells an amusing tale of a family gathering gone wrong, the second half talks of greed, mortality, love, trust and more.
The novel also introduces the decorated detective trope for the very first time with Sergeant Cuff. The renowned detective is called to investigate the Missing Diamond and has to face many obstacles to uncover the truth. When you look at other famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, we often find them at the center of the mystery, and see the story revolve around them. With Sergeant Cuff we do get the cockiness, the quirks, and the fame of a decorated detective, but we also see him being humble, see him committing errors and accepting it. Basically, he is a well-rounded character who is larger than his occupation. We do see a demonstration of his brilliance, but that is not the center of attention, rather an addition to the story.
I recently read 'Sign of Four' by Arthur Connan Doyle which has so many similar plot points to The Moonstone that I wish I could ask Doyle if he was inspired by Collins' work. The central Indian treasure, Indians in London hunting for it, a damsel in distress and of course a famous detective solving it all.
If we talk about the story in itself, it is nothing groundbreaking, but is rather a well-crafted mystery with enough central characters to toggle suspicion on. It all happens at a country house party and obviously the guests for the night, along with the servants are the main suspects. I am not usually good at pinpointing the culprit and honestly I don't try much either. I like to go with the flow and be surprised towards the end and this time was no different. Although when I looked back in retrospect there were enough foreshadowing to have given away the culprit if one indeed wanted to beat the novel to the punch.
I enjoyed the turbulence in every character and the interplay between them. They were not mere caricatures written to bring out one or two response from the reader. They were complex and multi-dimensional, capable of surprising the reader even towards the last few pages.
My only complaint is that we never see the true motives and feelings of one of the main female characters - Miss Rachel Verinder, from her own mind. We only see her through the eyes of others. She plays a huge role in the mystery and it is her actions and feelings that propels the long and tiresome quest for the lost diamond. And yet we never really get her perspective and know exactly what she is going through. I could understand the motive in clouding her thoughts in the first half, but I would have really enjoyed knowing her mind towards the end. The only glimpse we see of her in in her correspondence with Ezra Jennings, the town physician.
I do not want to reveal too much and spoil the book because it is a fantastic read. A perfect gothic mystery thriller that surprises you with its intent and implication. If you are a fan of the classics or mystery/detective fiction, try this for sure.
The Moonstone is a Victorian mystery about the history of and search for a missing diamond.
Sound lame? Well, it kind of is.
Some cool things about this book:
-It's Victorian, so there's a ton of weird stuff that all the characters accept as normal - quicksand, mysterious Indians, opium.
-It's written in multiple perspectives (servant, detective, friends, etc). People are not always who they seem.
-The solution was clever.
-Did I mention the quicksand?
Some...other things:
-This thing is long. LONG. It's compelling at first, but there are about 250 pages in the middle when I was like "I don't care whether this annoying lady gets her diamond back."
-It's Victorian, so all the women are fragile and flighty and fall in love with menjust because they're wearing a nice cravat.
-There's tons of unnecessary, uninteresting plot. Just tons.
If you're trying Collins for the first time, I suggest [b:The Woman in White|5890|The Woman in White|Wilkie Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1295661017s/5890.jpg|1303710], which is awesome. No lake of undulating quicksand, but an awesome read.
Sound lame? Well, it kind of is.
Some cool things about this book:
-It's Victorian, so there's a ton of weird stuff that all the characters accept as normal - quicksand, mysterious Indians, opium.
-It's written in multiple perspectives (servant, detective, friends, etc). People are not always who they seem.
-The solution was clever.
-Did I mention the quicksand?
Some...other things:
-This thing is long. LONG. It's compelling at first, but there are about 250 pages in the middle when I was like "I don't care whether this annoying lady gets her diamond back."
-It's Victorian, so all the women are fragile and flighty and fall in love with men
Spoiler
or even kill themselves over them-There's tons of unnecessary, uninteresting plot. Just tons.
If you're trying Collins for the first time, I suggest [b:The Woman in White|5890|The Woman in White|Wilkie Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1295661017s/5890.jpg|1303710], which is awesome. No lake of undulating quicksand, but an awesome read.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, Classism
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I came at this book cold, which is interesting. I had no idea when Wilkie Collins lived (Victorian England); I had no idea he was a contemporary and friend of Charles Dickens; I had no idea that he was one of the earliest mystery novelists. All I knew was that I had seen this book all my life on the shelves of school libraries and in secondhand book shops. It gave me the impression of a book that used to be popular, but that no one reads anymore. I have never talked to anyone who has read this book.
What a delightful surprise, then, to discover that this is a decent book. The story traces the career of the Moonstone, a large diamond stolen from India by an Englishman and brought back to England under a curse. The thief bequeaths it to his niece upon his death, whereupon the gem is almost immediately stolen under mysterious circumstances. The characters--mostly members of a single extended upper-class family, their servants and acquaintances, run the gamut from pure of heart to comically good-natured to downright venal, and what they undergo as the mystery of the stolen Moonstone unfolds has many twists and turns. Without spoiling anything, I confess the resolution of the mystery managed to surprise me.
Collins' representations of India, and of Indians bent on recovering the stolen gem, are caricatured and Orientalist, which is depressing. However, his overall treatment betrays (I think) some latent dissatisfaction with England's colonial adventures in India. His male characters' remarks about women are also frequently unfortunate, especially since the women in the story are on the whole more decent than the men manage to be.
Much more on point is Collins' scathing satire of the boundary-free do-gooderism of Christian evangelism of the period in the person of Drusilla Clack. If you ever met evangelical Christians who would stop at nothing to save your soul, including manufacturing life crises in order to weaken and exploit your emotions, you have met Ms. Clack. It's genius satire; Mrs. Clack is so horrible, so utterly unable to be forthright about her own motivations, and yet seems like a flesh and blood human being. Collins has captured enduring features of the mindset of stop-at-nothing evangelism.
All in all, despite a few flaws and embarrassingly dated parts, an entertaining book.
What a delightful surprise, then, to discover that this is a decent book. The story traces the career of the Moonstone, a large diamond stolen from India by an Englishman and brought back to England under a curse. The thief bequeaths it to his niece upon his death, whereupon the gem is almost immediately stolen under mysterious circumstances. The characters--mostly members of a single extended upper-class family, their servants and acquaintances, run the gamut from pure of heart to comically good-natured to downright venal, and what they undergo as the mystery of the stolen Moonstone unfolds has many twists and turns. Without spoiling anything, I confess the resolution of the mystery managed to surprise me.
Collins' representations of India, and of Indians bent on recovering the stolen gem, are caricatured and Orientalist, which is depressing. However, his overall treatment betrays (I think) some latent dissatisfaction with England's colonial adventures in India. His male characters' remarks about women are also frequently unfortunate, especially since the women in the story are on the whole more decent than the men manage to be.
Much more on point is Collins' scathing satire of the boundary-free do-gooderism of Christian evangelism of the period in the person of Drusilla Clack. If you ever met evangelical Christians who would stop at nothing to save your soul, including manufacturing life crises in order to weaken and exploit your emotions, you have met Ms. Clack. It's genius satire; Mrs. Clack is so horrible, so utterly unable to be forthright about her own motivations, and yet seems like a flesh and blood human being. Collins has captured enduring features of the mindset of stop-at-nothing evangelism.
All in all, despite a few flaws and embarrassingly dated parts, an entertaining book.