The Moonstone

Rating:
Summary: A truly colossal book
Review: I picked this book up in France after not having read an English book for two weeks, because I thought I would be desparate enough to work through it. Much to my surprise, it has become among my ten or so favorite books (out of--well, out of a lot more than that). The plot is intricate and well-planned, and the characters much funnier--consider the downfall of the evangelical cousin--and more humanly sympathetic than those of Collins' contemporary Dickens--there are NO Little Nells here, and the book is better for it.

Rating:
Summary: Almost Excellent Compared to 'The Woman in White'
Review: I say The Moonstone is 'almost' excellent because I've read The Woman In White, which is by far a superior novel. If Wilkie Collins had not written The Woman In White, I would say that The Moonstone is an excellent book, but the author has surpassed that. The Moonstone is an interesting crime novel where the narrative changes several times throughout the novel. This is a very interesting technique that keeps you turning the pages to see what the next character will have to say about the mysterious disappearance of the Indian Diamond, the Moonstone. Wilkie Collins has created a very interesting and diverse set of characters. Definately recommended.

Rating:
Summary: The Moonstone still rocks!
Review: I surprised was discover how good this "sensation novel" still is. The characters are treated with deep interest and affection by the author, and the plot is, of course, a classic in the field. Collin's leisurely Victorian style is a welcome change from the usual contemporary "buy it at the grocery store" bloody thriller.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: I thought The Moonstone was enjoyable until about the last quarter of the book. Forgive me, but my 21st century thinking couldn't reconcile the opium story line. Until that was introduced, I really enjoyed the narrative by different characters, the mystery and the Victorian insights.

Rating:
Summary: Go ahead and yawn, you won't miss anything.
Review: I understood that The Moonstone is a classic so I decided to read this to be culturally literate. Well the story line may be interesting but the writing is atrocious. It is curricular, bloated, and seemingly pointless. The characters just keep rattling. A lot of writers fill in the story with descriptions of time and place to give an atmosphere to the story. This writer (Wilkie Collins) just fills it with unrelated trivia. I under stand that this verboseness may be part of the writing style of the era, if this so he has it down pat. Dickens was quite verbose but every word had a relation to the story. Every once in a while I would go back a few pages to see what I must have missed. When I read again there was nothing there to miss. Ether Wilkie is extremely monotonous or other writing from this period is and I am just now lucky enough to find out. I talked to others about this and they said; "Now you know why Sherlock Holmes is so popular"

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: 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: One of the best books I've ever read
Review: I've never read a book at once so complex and smoothly presented. Its intricacy is so perfectly crafted that you can't help but step back, when you're done, and look at this book in awe. It's a fantastic story, a fantastic mystery, and a fantastic storehouse of great characters, particularly Gabriel Betteredge and Miss Clack. This is one to read over and over.

Rating:
Summary: a must for detective fans
Review: If I hadn't been lucky enough to take a college course that required The Moonstone, I would have missed reading this tremendous mystery. It's great reading through and through -- great Victorian writing, exotic characters and scenery, terrific plot, likeable characters (Sergeant Cuff and Franklin) etc... Not only that, it's an important work for those who consider themselves fans of detective fiction since many consider it the first detective novel of all time. In fact, I'd argue that it puts many modern and popular detective novels to shame. I'm amazed that Collins had such a good handle on a "page turner" that long ago. This is such a good mystery that it will make you want to read The Woman in White which is equally as good if not better. I have to admit that I also enjoyed the PBS version of the Moonstone as well. Don't read the abridged version -- the full version is a classic read and well worth it.

Rating:
Summary: "The first, the longest, and the best ..."
Review: It was T S Eliot who described Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" as "the first, the longest, and the best of Modern English detective novels". Not everybody might agree with this, but all practitioners, readers, and fans of detective fiction will find much to admire and enjoy in this magnificent 1868 publication.

Although not exactly the first example of detection novels, it provides the archetypal sleuth, Sergeant Cuff, an astute though idiosyncratic detective who leads the chase to the solution of the mystery, easily surpassing the dim-witted local police authorities. It also explores the full potential of the whodunit formula.

Arguably, it is still the longest example of detective fiction. Unlike most other serialized novels of its era, this one is meticulously plotted. You'll find red herrings, suspense, the unexpected, climaxes that overwhelm or fizzle out, and a satisfying denouement. It is narrated largely by some of the principal characters. All are revealed in well-rounded perspective while carrying forward the story line. The most popular has always been Drusilla Clack, "that rampant spinster", a self-righteous tract-dispensing lady who likes to eavesdrop and to be judgmental.

Is it the best? I would unhesitatingly award it the prize, while welcoming other internet browsers to name other contenders.

Wealthy internet browsers are recommended to download the unabridged audio reading of the book. It is a novel that reads well, and the full length reading available is a model of its kind. Naxos has produced an abridged version. It has the benefit of multiple readers, but most of the charm and all the atmosphere seems to disappear in the abridgment process. Book format will put you in touch with the original text and, provided you have the leisure and disposition for tackling a 20 hour read, will provide your imagination, your mind and your literary appetite with rich material.