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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
"The Moonstone" has been sitting on my to-read shelf for six years. It has survived four moves and countless instances of me passing over it for something newer, more exciting, etc. A library colleague is reading it for a book club, and it finally inspired me to pick up my own copy for perusal. I am so glad I did!
T.S. Eliot called The Moonstone "the first English Detective novel," and you can see the pillars of mystery-dom set in place. There is the methodical, careful approach taken to the solving of the mystery, (Holmes) the varied group gathered at the scene (Christie) and the mystery itself, which is pretty standard: the disappearance of a rare, mystical diamond. The diamond, of course, is worth stealing, and plenty of characters have motive.
Which brings me to my favourite part: the characters. "The Moonstone" is told, as the story moves along, from various points of view. We have the butler, Mr. Betteredge (my favourite, and whom I couldn't help imposing a Carson-type voice on in my head) Seargeant Cuff, a steely detective, the pious and clueless spinsterly Miss Clack, the dashing and brash young Mr. Franklin Blake, the delightful, headstrong Miss Rachel Verinder, the mysterious Ezra Jennings, and much more besides. Each character has a unique take on things, and may prove to be a reliable narrator or not, as the plot proceeds and more clues reveal themselves. The book travels from a country house in Yorkshire to London to back again, with romance, comedy, disguise, spies and opium besides. What DOESN'T "The Moonstone" have, in terms of sheer entertainment value?
Yet Collins remains in charge, and the novel never seems far-fetched or ludicrous (even though some of the characters might, but only for comic effect.) This is masterfully done, and I loved it.
My only complaints that stopped me giving it a full five stars are hardly the fault of the author. Both are signs of the Victorian age, so it's more a case of the book being older than a case of poor writing. One is the completeness of detail and tendency to thoroughly write out every element of the story. I struggled at times with the extra length. (I do realize this would have been published serially, so there is that as well.) The other is the sexism and racism present; they are not many, and once again, entirely a sign of the times...but still.
Other than that, if you're going to invest time in a thick classic, this is a good one!
T.S. Eliot called The Moonstone "the first English Detective novel," and you can see the pillars of mystery-dom set in place. There is the methodical, careful approach taken to the solving of the mystery, (Holmes) the varied group gathered at the scene (Christie) and the mystery itself, which is pretty standard: the disappearance of a rare, mystical diamond. The diamond, of course, is worth stealing, and plenty of characters have motive.
Which brings me to my favourite part: the characters. "The Moonstone" is told, as the story moves along, from various points of view. We have the butler, Mr. Betteredge (my favourite, and whom I couldn't help imposing a Carson-type voice on in my head) Seargeant Cuff, a steely detective, the pious and clueless spinsterly Miss Clack, the dashing and brash young Mr. Franklin Blake, the delightful, headstrong Miss Rachel Verinder, the mysterious Ezra Jennings, and much more besides. Each character has a unique take on things, and may prove to be a reliable narrator or not, as the plot proceeds and more clues reveal themselves. The book travels from a country house in Yorkshire to London to back again, with romance, comedy, disguise, spies and opium besides. What DOESN'T "The Moonstone" have, in terms of sheer entertainment value?
Yet Collins remains in charge, and the novel never seems far-fetched or ludicrous (even though some of the characters might, but only for comic effect.) This is masterfully done, and I loved it.
My only complaints that stopped me giving it a full five stars are hardly the fault of the author. Both are signs of the Victorian age, so it's more a case of the book being older than a case of poor writing. One is the completeness of detail and tendency to thoroughly write out every element of the story. I struggled at times with the extra length. (I do realize this would have been published serially, so there is that as well.) The other is the sexism and racism present; they are not many, and once again, entirely a sign of the times...but still.
Other than that, if you're going to invest time in a thick classic, this is a good one!
This book was very well-written and I really enjoyed it, but the ending wasn’t what I expected. Also, I haven’t read Robinson Crusoe since I was a child, which I know Betteredge would be greatly disappointed to here.
Definitely a must read for all classics lovers - by the originator of the mystery novel and the suspense novel (Woman in White is more suspenseful - both are great reads!)
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Like any whodunnit the cast is varied as to give a wide scope of possibility. Don’t be fooled into thinking this means the disparities in the cast are accepted by eachother. Enough twists and turns to make you second guess the ending, and enough depth to the main characters to interest. Be warned due to the time this was written there is some horrible casual racism and sexism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation
Minor: Pregnancy
Hailed as the original crime novel, The Moonstone is witty, intelligent and gripping from beginning to end, spanning continents and social chasms. Regardless of whether you are a fan of contemporary crime novels (I am not), this is a brilliant read.
mysterious
medium-paced
challenging
mysterious
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:
No
There is so much to love about this book! It establishes a lot of the standard elements of a mystery book while still managing to be unique in some aspects as well. The mystery is pieced together through varying perspectives collected together in the form of correspondences to one of the main characters. Each character offering their retelling of the mystery includes their own personalities and biases into the narrative which is not only entertaining but also serves to keep the overall story fresh through so many different eyes and minds weighing in.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes