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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Although this a very, very, long book, that could have been benefitted enourmously by losing at least half of its contents, it was still very pleaseant to read. I just wish the steward could have written it all. His was the best narrative and his absence is felt throughout the rest of the story.
I'm going to be honest: I'm one of those people that thinks everyone is suspicious. Whether it be movies or a book, I'm going to think that EVERY character is the one who committed the crime. However, I think that saves me from getting bored reading mystery novels. In this way, I can process the potential motives for each character and determine, finally, who the true culprit is. I was never bored with The Moonstone. Although the story is told from many different perspectives, it is done in such a way to reduce confusion. Each character was imperative to the timeline of the story and each character had a unique personality that made things interesting. As I said, I suspect everyone, so when the "true culprit" was revealed, I wasn't too shocked. That being said, how this character got the diamond baffled me. Seriously, why didn't I think of that? I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys mystery/detective novels. It sure gave me detective fever. I am now a fan of Wilkie Collins and I hope to find more of his books soon!
I absolutely could not put this book down - a true page-turner. I thought the multiple viewpoint angle was quite engaging, and I'm impressed that Collings was able to voice so many characters so effectively.
Such an interesting book. When I started listening to the audiobook, I had no idea it was so famous and essentially the first detective story. I enjoyed the second half of the audiobook a great deal more than the first, which was told by one narrator and his voice was a bit grating. The second half had multiple narrators and was much more enjoyable.
Pretty boring and far-fetched at times. But I am a sucker for a mystery.
The Moonstone is said to be the first published detective novel. It certainly belongs to the best in the genre and deserves its place on the 1001-books list and on Bloom’s Western Canon.
As the title suggests, the story is centered around the Moonstone, a valuable yellow diamond. The Moonstone has been taken from its Indian home and brought to England, where it is given to Miss Verinder as a birthday present. Unfortunately the Moonstone is viewed as a holy object in India and thus three Indians attempt to attain the Moonstone - by any means, even murder if necessary. In the night after her birthday party the Moonstone is stolen from Miss Verinder’s rooms.
The story is told through different narrators who relate their experiences. This gives the story depth and evolves it in a logical way that keeps the reader riveted. The mystery of who took the stone and where it is now and whether it can be recovered is not easily solved. The story lead me on different wrong paths until the solution was presented. Mystery at its best.
I listened to the unabridged audiobook narrated by Robert Langton, which I can also recommend. I’d always listen to another book read by him. He is generally quite a good narrator; although he is not the best at female voices (but there was only one of his voices that I actually disliked).
As the title suggests, the story is centered around the Moonstone, a valuable yellow diamond. The Moonstone has been taken from its Indian home and brought to England, where it is given to Miss Verinder as a birthday present. Unfortunately the Moonstone is viewed as a holy object in India and thus three Indians attempt to attain the Moonstone - by any means, even murder if necessary. In the night after her birthday party the Moonstone is stolen from Miss Verinder’s rooms.
The story is told through different narrators who relate their experiences. This gives the story depth and evolves it in a logical way that keeps the reader riveted. The mystery of who took the stone and where it is now and whether it can be recovered is not easily solved. The story lead me on different wrong paths until the solution was presented. Mystery at its best.
I listened to the unabridged audiobook narrated by Robert Langton, which I can also recommend. I’d always listen to another book read by him. He is generally quite a good narrator; although he is not the best at female voices (but there was only one of his voices that I actually disliked).
This book could easily be cut in half if the tangents are taken out. Otherwise, it is a decent detective story.
Great book! VERY long and very descriptive, but the fantastic characters and the abundance of wit and humor was well worth it. Glad that I had the audiobook because it probably would have been a DNF if reading the physical copy (due to length).