The Moonstone

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Victorian Novels by Storytelling Master
Review: First published in 1868, Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" has been never out of print. This fact testifies the popularity of the book, but somehow because of the famous comment by TS Eliot, "The Moonstone" is likely to be regarded as 'detective fiction.' The fact is slightly different, and you have to keep that in mind before you read it.

The story is absolutely the classic style of "Who-Done-It." The Moonstone, a sacred Hindo stone is stolen from India, and makes its way to the peaceful Yorkshire countryhouse where the rich daughter Rachel Verinder lives with her mother. On her birthday night, however, immediately after the stone is presented to the young lady, it vanishes without a trace. So, who stole it? Or is it just 'missing,' as the inimitable London detective Sgt. Cuff thinks?

The story sounds like Agatha Christie (who, like Collins, wrote stories about the British middle-class), but if you are looking for some ingenious 'trick' or something, you will be disapponited. The story is written BEFORE Sherlock Holmes is born, and though the basic elements of detective stories can be found here, Collins does not use them as you might expect the later writers like Conan Doyle do. I cannot reveal much, but I can tell you that the whereabout of the stone is not necessarily the primary concern of the novel.

The most strikingly original aspect of the novel is its characters. Remember, "The Moonstone" is primarily a Victorian novel, and Wilkie Collins is one of the best friends of Charles Dickens, who wrote "Great Expectations" which attacks the idea of 'gentleman.' The story is told by many characters themselves, and they unwittingly reveal the hidden side of their personalities in the narrative. The best case is the statement of Miss Clack, whose too religious attitudes conceal her surpressed curiosity (and perhaps love) for handsome philanthropist Godfrey Ablewhite. Clack's narrative, always amusing and in a sense grotesque, is one of the greatest among the 19th English novels.

About the mystery of the novel ... well, there are lots of them in there, but they are rather about how and why these colorful characters did certain things or didn't. Rachel Verinder, independent and strong-willed (Collins loved this type of females), certainly knows something about the missing stone, but she never talks about it. The housemaid Rosanna Spearman knows something about the 'smear' of the paint (one of the crucial points of the story), but she never talks about it ... until the time you know the reason. The 'mystery' is about these people, rather than about the Moonstone.

{ABOUT THE BROADVIEW EDITION by STEVE FARMER}

Broadview's edition of "The Moonstone" comes in handy for academic use, so let me record the details of the book. It has Mr. Farmer's informative introduction that follows the modern critical readings of the book. Plus, you see the novel's contemporary reviews, and the play version of "The Moonstone" (which Collins himself made for the stage) and even the reviews of that play. You also get the excerpts of the letters concerning the novel and the play, and the brief newspaper accounts of the real-life cases of Constance Kent and Northumberland Street (both of which became part of the story). The long (and well-chosen) list of select bibliography is included.

You may not find the same thrill as you have in Doyle or Christie, but "The Moonstone" is still a good example of great storytelling. Read it like you read Dickens, another great storyteller.

"The Moonstone" is made a TV show starring Greg Wise in UK in the late 1990s. This version is also great, keeping the atmosphere of the original novel intact. Find the video and see it.

Rating:
Summary: Far Fetched
Review: Enjoyable read but overall I was disappointed because of the far fetched plot. Although this is a common flaw in mystery novels, I expected more from the Moonstone. By the fourth or fifth "coincidence" which served only to deepen and/or bolster an already convoluted storyline, I started to lose interest. Furthermore, people just don't act the way the characters do in the Moonstone. I won't go in to detail so as not to ruin it, but the motiviational forces behind the characters' actions aren't believable, and therefore weaken the story. By the time the book was finished, I was glad to move on to something else.

Rating:
Summary: The Best of Both Worlds
Review: This book, the first detective novel written, is a great combination of the eloquence of the Victorian novel and the entertainment of a mystery novel. Collins' main characters of Gabriel Betteridge and Franklin Blake are immensely likeable and there's a good deal of humour here as well. The only complaint I have about the novel is that it's entirely anti-climactic. Most of the suspense comes near the middle of the novel and you'll spend a good portion of the latter part of the novel with a pretty solid idea of who the culprit is. Overall, though, a very good read.

Rating:
Summary: Wondeful!
Review: My all time favorite book. Read it for the first time when i was nine and enjoy it still. For mystery fan, this is a must! Don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: An immersive, unforgettable mystery classic
Review: THE MOONSTONE was the first mystery story, and it in many ways remains one of the most remarkable. Working in the shadow of the Gothic and Romantic literary traditions, Wilkie Collins managed to create something new and unique. Instead of the endless evocation of atmosphere and focusing on sinister villains, Collins focuses instead on a simple mystery and its solution: who stole the diamond known as the Moonstone, and where did it go? But any reader of the novel knows that the mystery is secondary to the exposition and the marvelous parade of characters. It isn't the getting to the resolution of the mystery that is the main thing, but the process of getting there.

One of the great attractions of the novel is the extraordinary style of the writing. Although the first English mystery story, it had not yet devolved into a genre, and Collins was not aware that a mystery story could not also be great literature. As a result, he imbued his characters with enormous charm and give them each a vivid manner in expressing themselves. The multiple narratives by this remarkable characters was a strategy to deal with the problem of authorial point of view. On the one hand, Collins wanted to avoid the omniscient narrator who would know the truth both about each character and about the myster of the fate of the diamond. Collins therefore cast the novel in the form of a succession of narratives by the various participants in the novel. He thereby limits the knowledge of each narrator, but he also is able thereby to provide considerable variation in the style of each narrative. The two most remarkable segments are those by Gabriel Betteridge, House-Steward in the service of Lady Verinder and her cousin Miss Clack, a prim and fervid evangelical Christian whose missionary zeal and prudish moralizing provide many of the funniest moments of the novel. The style of these two could not be more distinct, both from the rest of the narratives and from each other. Miss Clack has constantly to fight a tendency to sermonize. She is apt to turn out passages such as: "A thundering knock at the street door startled us all. I looked through the window, and saw the World the Flesh, and the Devil waiting before the house--as typified in a carriage and horses, a powdered footman, and three of the most audaciously dressed women I ever beheld in my life." Betteridge, on the other hand, is solid, practical, a tad parochial, but ferociously loyal to his employer. For him the good life consists of a good pipe and a copy of ROBINSON CRUSOE at hand. If one laughs a bit at Miss Clack, the reader comes to thoroughly like Betteredge. Between the two of them, their narrative occupy more than half the novel. The others are also quite enjoyable, but not to the degree that these two are.

THE MOONSTONE is a page turner, which is to say that it is a delight to read. One wants to read quickly both because each page is such a joy and because one wants to discover what happens next. The characters are mainly enjoyable, but like so many authors his eccentric characters are far more memorable and enjoyable than his central characters. Betteredge, Miss Clack, and Sgt. Cuff far outstrip the "hero" of the book, who while a good citizen, is from a literary point of view a tad boring.

I can agree with those readers who consider THE WOMAN IN WHITE a better book, but this is another of those comparisons that are odious. The book is so enjoyable, fun, and memorable that I can't imagine any reader lamenting during the course of its pages that they weren't reading the other book instead.

Rating:
Summary: A True Mystery Novel
Review: The Moonstone is a wonderfully written English mystery novel of the mid 1800s. It tells the story of the path of a stolen Indian gemstone. The path begins from the day it was stolen from the forehead of a sacred statue of the god of the Moon guarded by three Brahmins (or Indian priests) to and from its journey Yorkshire. While in Yorkshire, the stone is eventually passed down to Miss Rachel Verinder on the day of her eighteenth birthday and within the same night, the precious Diamond is stolen. In several narratives, the theft of the Diamond is described.

I believe that The Moonstone was a fascinating and well thought out mystery novel. Although I thought it was a little too lengthy near the end, this was only for the better. Collins uses eight different narratives to re-tell the story of the missing Diamond. The characters develop into believable and helpful elements of the story. The narratives allow Collins to achieve suspense, thrill, and mystery. In my opinion, he has successfully accomplished the true title of a classic mystery novel.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Victorian Novels by Storytelling Master
Review: First published in 1868, Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" has been never out of print. This fact testifies the popularity of the book, but somehow because of the famous comment by TS Eliot, "The Moonstone" is likely to be regarded as 'detective fiction.' The fact is slightly different, and you have to keep that in mind before you read it.

The story is absolutely the classic style of "Who-Done-It." The Moonstone, a sacred Hindo stone is stolen from India, and makes its way to the peaceful Yorkshire countryhouse where the rich daughter Rachel Verinder lives with her mother. On her birthday night, however, immediately after the stone is presented to the young lady, it vanishes without a trace. So, who stole it? Or is it just 'missing,' as the inimitable London detective Sgt. Cuff thinks?

The story sounds like Agatha Christie (who, like Collins, wrote stories about the British middle-class), but if you are looking for some ingenious 'trick' or something, you will be disapponited. The story is written BEFORE Sherlock Holmes is born, and though the basic elements of detective stories can be found here, Collins does not use them as you might expect the later writers like Conan Doyle do. I cannot reveal much, but I can tell you that the whereabout of the stone is not necessarily the primary concern of the novel.

The most strikingly original aspect of the novel is its characters. Remember, "The Moonstone" is primarily a Victorian novel, and Wilkie Collins is one of the best friends of Charles Dickens, who wrote "Great Expectations" which attacks the idea of 'gentleman.' The story is told by many characters themselves, and they unwittingly reveal the hidden side of their personalities in the narrative. The best case is the statement of Miss Clack, whose too religious attitudes conceal her surpressed curiosity (and perhaps love) for handsome philanthropist Godfrey Ablewhite. Clack's narrative, always amusing and in a sense grotesque, is one of the greatest among the 19th English novels.

About the mystery of the novel ... well, there are lots of them in there, but they are rather about how and why these colorful characters did certain things or didn't. Rachel Verinder, independent and strong-willed (Collins loved this type of females), certainly knows something about the missing stone, but she never talks about it. The housemaid Rosanna Spearman knows something about the 'smear' of the paint (one of the crucial points of the story), but she never talks about it ... until the time you know the reason. The 'mystery' is about these people, rather than about the Moonstone.

{ABOUT THE BROADVIEW EDITION by STEVE FARMER}

Broadview's edition of "The Moonstone" comes in handy for academic use, so let me record the details of the book. It has Mr. Farmer's informative introduction that follows the modern critical readings of the book. Plus, you see the novel's contemporary reviews, and the play version of "The Moonstone" (which Collins himself made for the stage) and even the reviews of that play. You also get the excerpts of the letters concerning the novel and the play, and the brief newspaper accounts of the real-life cases of Constance Kent and Northumberland Street (both of which became part of the story). The long (and well-chosen) list of select bibliography is included.

You may not find the same thrill as you have in Doyle or Christie, but "The Moonstone" is still a good example of great storytelling. Read it like you read Dickens, another great storyteller.

"The Moonstone" is made a TV show starring Greg Wise in UK in the late 1990s. This version is also great, keeping the atmosphere of the original novel intact. Find the video and see it.

Rating:
Summary: Details, details, details!
Review: I'll give you a basic plot line:
This guy did it! nope, here's why. This guy couldn't have done it, here's why. This guy did it! nope, here's why. This guy did it! yup, here's why.

But Wilkie Collins, (yeah, I never heard of him either), is able to turn this into a 473 page book by going down to the most minuscule aspect ... about everything. I suppose it is arguable that he does this because it is a detective novel, but the trivial details just litter the pages. Even when you do get past the first narrative, (which is mostly a jumble of character introductions), and into the main plot, the reader is almost overwhelmed with details.

On another matter, Wilkie Collins is either terribly sexist, or he likes to give his Gabriel Betteredge that characteristic. Perhaps it is just the times, but our Sir Betteredge seems to "understand" women completely ... I hate to sound like a psychotic feminist, but comments such as, "But it is a maxim of mine that men (being superior creatures) are bound to improve women." This is just one of countless examples. I wonder what Wilkie's true opinion is.

I suppose one can account for the dragging on as being a consequence of 19th century literature, and I suppose the characters are disputably vivid, but I am sad to say that, although I tried to keep an open mind, this book just didn't captivate me. Thirty pages in, I kept convincing myself that after all the characters were introduced, it would get better ... but alas, the interest hardly picked up; the reader and current narrator just change their suspicions from character to character. I read this because guilt would have taken me for putting a book down half finished.

Rating:
Summary: The First and Greatest English Detective Novel?
Review: As many reviewers have noted, T.S. Eliot called `The Moonstone' "the first and greatest English detective novel." Is the novel worthy of such praise? We shall see...

The story begins with a brief prologue describing how the famous yellow diamond was captured during a military campaign in India by a British officer in 1799. The action moves quickly to 1848 England, where, according to the British officer's will, the diamond has been given to one of the soldier's young relatives, Rachel Verinder. Yet only hours after the diamond arrives at the Verinder estate, it disappears. Was it stolen by a relative? A servant? And who are these three Indian men who keep hanging around the estate?

`The Moonstone' is told from the point of view of several characters. The first portion of the tale is told by Gabriel Betteredge, house steward of the Verinder estate, who has been working for the family practically his entire life. Although over 200 pages, Betteredge's account holds the reader's interest as he introduces the main players and the crime itself. The next account, by distant Verinder relative Miss Clack, is humorous and somewhat important, but far too long (nearly 100 pages) for its relevance to the story. But after Miss Clack's account, things really take off at breakneck speed.

Readers who latch onto the T.S. Eliot quote expecting a modern detective tale will be sorely disappointed. You aren't going to see anything resembling Jeffrey Deaver, James Patterson, Sue Grafton, or even Mary Higgins Clark. You also won't see Mickey Spillane, Dashiel Hammett, or Raymond Chandler. Nor will you see Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, or Martha Grimes. You won't even see Arthur Conan Doyle. But you WILL see the novel that influenced them all.

You'll also see something else. Something that modern mystery/detective writers have for the most part lost. Characters. Oh sure, modern writers have characters, but for the most part, the reader only learns enough about the character to forward the plot. In our time, plot is King. When `The Moonstone' was published (1868), one of the novel's attractions was its characters. Collins has painted each of these characters so well that the reader feels that they know not only how they look, but their mannerisms, their movements, how they think, and their view of the world they live in. That type of character development is seriously lacking today, not from all writers, but from far too many.

Of course, the down side is that Colllins also took over 500 pages to develop those characters. Is the book too long? For most modern readers, the answer is yes. I believe it all has to do with your expectation. Put modern mystery/detective stories out of your head. Then read `The Moonstone' as you would any other novel. Get lost in the atmosphere and the characters. Immerse yourself. Most of all, enjoy. Reading `The Moonstone' is like eating at a fine restaurant after months of fast food. When it's over, you just want to sit back in your favorite chair and say, "It's nice to know that the finer things are still available." Yes they are. Treat yourself to this gourmet book.

522 pages