Rating: 
Summary: The original detective story
Review: "The Moonstone" is commonly considered to be the beginning of the genre we call Detective Fiction. It was written on a bet with Robert Lewis Stevenson. Collins wagered that he could write a story at least half as good as Stevenson's "Treasure Island." For my money, he succeeded, and then some. It is an old-style book, distinctly the product of the 19th Century. In the style of many 19th Century novels, it is narrated by several different characters, which may take the modern reader a bit of getting used to. But the plot is clever, punctuated by the unexpected just at the moment when it seems the whole thing might resolved itself quite quickly. It's fun, and it's a fascinating look into another time
Rating: 
Summary: A gothic, male Austen, almost
Review: A gothic, male, version of any Austen novel you care to read. Dark, brooding, sensuous and sensual, with brief lesbian undertones. Many delicate touches but a gripping (if nowadays predictable) mystery tale, which also points up certain Victorian values regarding people, especially those set apart from middle and upper class sets. A wonderful, imaginative book, which has left me thinking about it ever since.
Rating:
Summary: The Moonstone
Review: A mysterious murder, a suspicious suicide, the dying, hideously deformed, yet gentlemanly Ezra Jennings, the famed detective Sergeant Cuff, and three Indians wandering inexplicably around Europe in blatant defiance of their caste...all connect in a thrilling mystery revolving aroound the Moonstone, a cursed diamond taken from the very shrine of the centuries-old idol worshipped deep in the heart of India. The savvy young Englishman Franklin Blake, in respecting his recently dead uncle's will, brings the Moonstone to his lovely cousin Rachel Verinder. When the Diamond disappears on the night of her birthday, a mystery ensues and winds from the streets of the underworld of Victorian London to the very heart of India, where superstition and idolotry rule the people; the characters entangled, including a debt-ridden philanthropist, a love-sick suicidal young woman, the Englishman that passes among Indians...The mystery twists, turns, and leaves the reader breathless--the Diamond takes as many victims through murder as through the pages of this wonderful novel. The Moonstone is as addicting and enticing as the opium trance which finally solves the mystery; as ensnaring as the evanescent light of a diamond. This is a wonderful novel equal to any of today's thrillers.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Detective Story Imaginable
Review: Although I have heard many criticisms concerning Wilkie Collins' masterpiece, I strongly believe this was his greatest creation. The main problem many people have, deals with the book's end. Taking the diamond, the moonstone, in delirium, and hiding it somewhere "I-know-not-where," deprives the culprit of any MOTIVE, and that's what we, as readers, want to understand- the motive behind the crime. No wonder you can never guess who the "thief" is- how can you, when there's no possible motivation?! Despite all of its inaccuracies, however, "The Moonstone" is the only detective novel produced by a Victorian author that deserves to be read. The prose is superb. The style is unique. Collins' decision to tell the story from the point of view of many, if not all, characters, brings something personal to the narratives on many levels. Ranked second only to "The Woman in White," "The Moonstone" is still a popular classic today- and perhaps the most accessible of all Collins' novels.
Rating:
Summary: The Moonstone
Review: An excellent suspense novel that will keep you turning the pages. As one expects with a Wilke Collins novel, the characters are fully developed, the plots are intertwined, and the outcome remains a surprise. Truly a master of the genre! You'll enjoy every word.
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
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
Rating:
Summary: Vengeance of the Yellow Diamond
Review: Clearly written and sprinkled with the vivid eccentricities of Victorian England at its apex, "The Moonstone"--hailed even today as the archetype of the modern detective novel--has been imitated and imitated to the point that it's begun to show its age. Through no fault of its own, its seminal reliance on unforseen plot turns and carefully hidden clues might seem relatively old hat these days. But when first published in 1868, "The Moonstone" was utterly and indisputedly new. Some critics thought it monsterous. Others found it's gentle skewering of Victorian mores a little too shocking. Public opinion, however, granted "The Moonstone" almost instant acclaim. Take, for instance, the "cliche" around which the plot thickens: Explorers in the heart of the Himalayas find and then steal a huge diamond from the face of a Hindu (in the novel, it's quaintly spelled "Hindoo") statue. Accordingly--and a little bit like the famed sapphire, "The Star of India"--what might be a curse, and what might also be its pursing Hindu claimants, follows the diamond from owner to owner until a beautiful 19-year-old woman, Rachel Verinder, receives it as a birthday present. If, in a movie, that young beauty was played by, say, Tori Spelling, we'd all be anticipating the grisly details of a rich prepster's murder at an illicit high school keg party, and lots of techno music, some sort of sado-machochism scene and a gang of French guys with long hair, black leather pants, and plenty of flash overall. But here that's really not the case--because the very night Rachel Verinder receives the diamond...it disappears. In other words, "The Moonstone" surrounds itself with one of the richest and most intriguing plots in classic fiction. Which isn't to say it's devoid of any flashiness. Not surprisingly, the detective, an enigmatic Sergeant Cuff, shambles onto the consequent fracas within the Verinder household. He's kind of a cross between the inscrutable Sherlock Holmes--an obvious copy of the original--and the always underestimated Columbo. Seeing things that not even the reader notices, Cuff expertly analyzes the case as his focus ranges through a rogue's gallery of potential theives. Did Rachel "steal" her own diamond, believing that she can outwit the diamond's accursed pursuers? Or did her fiance-wannabe, the young dark and dashing Mr. Ablewhite, take the diamond in order to protect the woman he loves from the curse? Or how about likely-suspect Rosanna--a former prostitute who is in love with another of Rachel Verinder's admirers, Mr. Franklin Blake? Maybe she took the Moonstone because she wishes so badly to impress the object of her heart. Like an immense parlor game--brought to our attention by the once-novel device of "testimonies" from major characters--"The Moonstone" gathers from one mannerly outrage to another until, in a quite mannerly conclusion, it rises from the quicksand of a thoroughly enticing plot, its yellow pallor luminescently taking victim after victim into its solipsistic spell. Unlike many novels of what is sometimes termed the Regency period of English literature, Collins, like most novelists and artists of the day, anticipates the breakdown of the Victorian ethic. Like Cervantes, who wrote of the dying Age of Chivalry in a lighthearted way, Collins takes the mores of the day to task on nearly every page. Rachel, who is by no means the dispassionate and meek beauty she should be, is a thoroughly modern Millie compared to the average upper class woman of the times. Franklin Blake, a world traveller, has seen and heard enough in his lifetime to see through many of the suffocating rules and sanctions, and is eternally suspicious because of it. Mrs. Merridew, one of Rachel's guardians, is perhaps the most comical character. When she begins going through the Verinder household, concealing religious phamplets in the plants, among the loose papers in the library and even under the napkins surrounding the dinner table, you can't help but laugh a little--especially when every little twinge of eroticism or morally-electric curiosity she might feel is interpreted in light of her quest to bring everyone around her straight to Jesus. Eloquently a period piece, this popular entertainment from the last days of the Age of Dickens is also pompously rich in Victorian detail and fraught with the cups and teaspoons of life among the privileged in an era where refinement was everything. Clearly delineated characterizations and strong period detail, however, seem somewhat laughable when we look into "The Moonstone" from our period. Yet with a willful suspension of disbelief, most readers will find that Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" exercises the "intrigue muscle" quite nicely.
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: Changing Views
Review: First off, I think I should let anyone reading this review know that I am a high school student. But I don't believe that this fact impacted the way that I felt about the book. I have always been a fan of mystery novels and this one was definately one of the best of its genre. The book follows a huge, yellow diamond stolen by a British officer from an Indian sultan's treasury. 50 years later, the officer leaves the gem to his neice, Rachel Verinder, upon his death. The gem is then stolen from Miss Verinder on the same night she receieves it. The story follows the search for the truth of the missing stone. But the best part about the novel is that it is told in first person narritive, by several individuals who played important roles in the story. Wilkie Collins does a masterful job at pulling off this writting technique by giving each of the narrators their own character, from which they portray the story as they perceived it to have happened. Each narrator provided deep insight into the other characters; some of whom are described from several different and sometimes intentionally conflicting perspectives. The trouble, for a reader, with trying to solve an average mystery novel is that you can be influenced by the narrator's views. Wilkie Collins allows the reader to see the events and characters through the eyes of different narrators, giving the reader many perspectives to look at and allowing the reader to decide for themselves what is really happening and who people really are. One of the complaints about Collins' novel is that he is at times long winded, but I found the story simply to be incredibly detailed, enjoyable, and beautifully written. Collins' also provides an accurate portrayal of the opinions of the Victorians during the imperialist age. Overall, I would reccomend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, especially one wiht a twist due to the unusual style of narration.
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