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The Moonstone Paperback – August 23, 2014

by Wilkie Collins (Author)

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The Moonstone (1868) by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language.

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About the Author

William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 - 23 September 1889) was an English novelist.

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Reinold F.

4.5 a must read for lovers of the genre, a bit long though. (without spoilers)

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 4, 2019

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(Review for AmazonClassics and Dream Classics editions)

Marilyn Manson has written, and I agree, that "occasionally, something will happen that will change your opinion of someone irrevocably, that will shatter the ideal you've built up..." This story, this very important novel of the policial genre, suffers from the length with which the characters narrate their own participation in the main event. It can be expressed in the formula e=mc2, where E is the tiredness of my energy, equal to the product of the mass of words they write, multiplied by the velocity of light squared. Gabriel Betteredge is a lovable butler, loyal and tolerant, but insists so much about Robinson Crusoe and the defects of his deceased wife that almost turns into a bully; Miss Clack is a cute woman that care about religion, but the extension of her chapters make her look as an egotistical fanatic. They are the most notorious examples, but I'd say it applies for almost all protagonists. In the same way the extraordinary Moonstone has a small flaw in its core I think this unnecessary length a small flaw in the core of a very interesting story.

The policial genre maybe is the worst genre to review because it doesn't admit spoilers, as the revelation of the mystery is the core of it. So I will limit to mention what is safe to mention. The book is about the loss of a big diamond hunted by three Indians that have sworn to their gods to watch it until return it to India. The circumstances of the mystery are explained with great detail and just some parts are insinuated but not totally hidden. Different protagonists tell their part of their story according to the chronology of the events. Among the parts I loved are:

* The burning, in middle of the story, of a paper in which is written the name of the responsible of the loss of the diamond. We are so close to know it but it turn to ashes. It is, somehow, diabolical.
* The intrusion of horror in the shape of a misshaped and wretched girl. There is a part where one of the protagonists almost feels her emerging from the sea water above the quicksands. A gloomy vision that is scarier than the idea of a cursed diamond.
* The contrast of the polite British etiquette and ceremonies of the epoch with the outburst of the characters when the tension of the loss make them explode in outbursts of drama.
* The twists, they are quite amazing, as in our modern TV series (the good ones, it is)

There are some aspects that maybe are a tad far fetched as the way the characters seem to get in love quite easily; or the high horses from which some characters lecture others. Also there seems to be an ideological subtext, the one I cannot put my finger on; but I'd say Wilkie Collins seems to favor eccentric characters (i.e. Betteredge, Mr. Blake, Dr. Jennings) above religious or traditional ones (Miss Clack, the first police investigator, and the three Brahmin a bit) I know it is a strategy to divert the attention from real suspects to innocent ones, but I feel there is also some social denounce. Anyway, far from that century and country the answer is meaningless and it doesn't deprive from the adventure to read this book. Maybe I could read it again, and that intention, in the policial genre that only survives one reading, is testament of how good it is.

About the edition I read the AmazonClassics edition, and I compared it to the Dream Classics edition I had got time before. The AmazonClassics edition is by far the more enjoyable one: you have a clean and modern typography, excellent formatting, and the way to highlight the subtleties (cursives in AmazonClassics and capitals in Dream Classics) is less distracting. The only negative, in the AmazonClassics edition, is the reference to kindle versions of books mentioned. I love that function but the butler, Gabriel Betteredge, mentions Robinson Crusoe a lot, so it appears advertised in the AmazonClassics a lot too, I am not sure if it is possible to deactivate that option but nevertheless, I felt like Daniel Defoe had paid Amazon to get publicity for his book xD Curiously the mention of the important Confessions of an English Opium-Eater doesn't trigger a link to any kindle version, what is a shame because it is a wonderful book if you love, as I do, the British 19th century literature. Those very minor nuisances aside the main advantage of the AmazonClassics edition is the presence of X-Ray, super valuable for policial genre in which you need to know who is who, so probably this is the best edition you can get.

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The mystery of the Moonstone

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 13, 2014

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Before there was Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, there was a tale of drugs, suicide, a stolen Indian diamond and a reported curse.

Specifically, there was "The Moonstone," a long and twisting Victorian tale that is considered the first mystery novel in the English language. Wilkie Collins's writing can be a bit dense at times (well, it IS a Victorian story) but it also has a cast of quirky characters in a very colorful story, and an unusually forward-thinking approach to class. How many other novels of this type have the BUTLER as the narrator?

After ten years in continental Europe, Franklin Blake returns to England to bring his cousin Rachel Verinder her eighteenth birthday present: a massive diamond called the Moonstone. It was left to her by her vile uncle, possibly as a malicious act -- three Hindu priests are lurking nearby, hoping to reclaim the sacred gem stolen from them long ago. Everyone except Rachel really wants the diamond split up, so it will no longer be a danger.

At the same time, Rachel is being wooed by two men -- the somewhat irresponsible young Franklin, and the prosperous but less attractive Godfrey Ablewhite. And a timid, deformed young maid named Rosanna has fallen desperately in love with Franklin (though he's completely oblivious to this).

Then after a dinner party, the Moonstone vanishes, leaving a smudge on a newly-painted door as the only clue. It seems that only someone in the house could have stolen it. But it doesn't turn up in any police sweeps, the priests have alibis, and Rachel flatly refuses to let Sergeant Cuff investigate further. She also refuses to speak to Franklin again. And after several months, Franklin learns of some new clues that could reveal who stole the Moonstone. With the now-retired Cuff and a disgraced doctor's assistant helping him, he sets out to unravel the mystery once and for all.

"The Moonstone" contains a lot of the tropes that later detective novels would use -- reenactment of the crime, red herrings, the culprit being the least likely suspect, and an English country house where you wouldn't expect a theft to take place. It even has TWO detectives -- a quirky police sergeant with plenty of brains, and a gentleman who is bright but kind of inexperienced.

Collins' prose can be a bit bloated at times, but he keeps it moving fast with lots of romantic drama and a hefty dose of humor (the insufferably pious Miss Clack: "Oh, be morally tidy. Let your faith be as your stockings, and your stockings as your faith"). He also switches between different perspectives throughout the book -- part is from the butler Mr. Betteridge, part is from Miss Clack, part is from Franklin Blake himself, and there are little snatches of text from various other people.

And it's quirky. Very quirky. At times it feels like the Victorian equivalent of a Wes Anderson movie, between Betteridge's fanboy preoccupation with Robinson Crusoe (which he uses for EVERYTHING) or Cuff's love of roses (which you wouldn't immediately associate with an elite police detective).

But there is a serious side to Collins' writing as well. Yes, "The Moonstone" has some uncomfortably sexist or racist moments, but he was never afraid to take a jab at the foibles of his own society -- hypocritical piety, stainable reputations or then-legal drug addiction. He also takes an unusually compassionate approach to the servant class in the character of Rosanna Spearman -- though she is plain, deformed and has a checkered history, Collins never mocks her or her hopeless love of Franklin.

He also provides us with a wide range of characters -- from wild young men to stately ladies, from a genial butler to the mysterious priests who are the likeliest suspects... but didn't actually do it. Rachel's melodrama can be a bit irritating at times (why didn't she confront Franklin?), but Franklin grows into a more responsible, thoughtful young man over the story, and he's balanced out nicely by the age and experience of the quirky Cuff and Betteridge.

"The Moonstone" is still a delightful read -- a powerful and sometimes tragic mystery, tempered with quirky humor and a likable cast of characters. While a bit overlong at times, it's still an outstanding little whodunnit.

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Graham Shipley

Do not buy this edition (ASIN number B0B51VHP2C)!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 17, 2022

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The Moonstone is one of the best novels ever written and I heartily recommend it to anyone. But this Kindle edition (identifiable by the ASIN number B0B51VHP2C and by the black cover with a nearly dark Moon and a ball of crystal) is a disgrace. Luckily I downloaded a sample and didn't pay for the whole thing. The English appears to have been re-translated from another language, either by some automated means or by someone with no grasp of English syntax. The opening pages are literally, for the most part, incomprehensible. At first I thought this was a way of representing the style of the character writing these words, but then I compared another Kindle edition and the English was perfectly normal. Be warned!

One person found this helpful

Anne J

Strangely Addictive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 31, 2019

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At times I found this book to be tiresome and somewhat repetitive. In the beginning I found Betteredge's style of writing to be so old fashioned and proper that he irritated me. As I progressed through his narrative I accepted the style of writing was in the style of the time and began to visualise the scenes through their excellent descriptions.
I found Rachel's behaviour to Blake to be as strange as her family members found it. I had some suspicion as to why but was proved wrong!
The plot thickened through some repetition and the story is not the most exciting but, despite this, I found the book to be strangely addictive.
The reason for the Diamond's disappearance and the twists and turns before the ending were enjoyable. I had guessed the culprit by the end but not how the deed had been done.
I feel the ending of this book was immensely satisfying and recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the period and of classical writing styles.

3 people found this helpful

tripslipper

very slow & drawn out until 3/4 through

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 29, 2021

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its a great shame that the story was so laborious for so long, very gifted & descriptively written but much too long so as to become boring. I have a personal foible that if I start reading a book I finish it but I struggled.

It was a good story line & plot but up until at least 3/4 way it was too convuluted, too much minutiae & would have been a lot more interesting had it been condensed somewhat.
Had it not been for the end third I was ready to say it was the worst book I'd ever read but the pace hastened & kept my interest. I must congratulate the author some of his characters were so well written you felt you knew them & could empathise with them.

One person found this helpful

C. JONES

A gem of early detective fiction

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 30, 2017

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This is a book I have been meaning to read for too many years, and am so glad that I have finally got around to doing so. First published in 1868 and laying claim to be the first true detective novel, it is among the most intricately woven mysteries ever written. Originally published in instalments instalments in Charles Dickens' magazine, "All the Year Round," it demands a good deal of patience, and as much dogged determination from the reader as from the detectives, professional and amateur, who contribute to its resolution.

What it has in common with its worthier descendants is its emphasis on character, which is assisted by the use of a number of narrative voices. The fates of all participants are of interest, even where only indirectly connected to the main story.

The book is available to read online for free, or as a free Kindle book.

6 people found this helpful

A. C. Dickens

A Book of Two Halves

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 28, 2016

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In his excellent introduction, John Sutherland says that Charles Dickens praised the early instalments of the Moonstone. but later found fault with it. He couldn't understand why, so this latter-day Dickens will try to explain.

The narrative of Gabriel Betteredge, which introduces the characters, setting and plot is brilliant - informative, amusing, and well-judged. We get to know this charming, old-fashioned old buffer, with his passion for Robinson Crusoe; and we are intrigued by the exotic background to the "unlucky jewel". And the circumstances of the theft are as much a mystery to us as they are to the characters in the book. In other words, a great set-up.

Then it starts to go wrong: first, a plot weakness, then an unbelievable suicide note; then a preposterous reconstruction. The second half of the book is so disappointing. I put it down partly to "serialitis", and (with Mr Sutherland's intro in mind) the author's poor health and drug dependence.

(By "serialitis" I mean the practice of dragging out a story issued in instalments when it has proved to be a success. For an extreme example, see "The Count of Monte Cristo". Modern example? Game of Thrones.)

The second narrative, that of Drusilla Clack is promising. Miss Clack is a tiresome god-botherer and Collins had a lot of fun with her character - but she too is intelligent and observant. During the early part of her narrative the mystery seems to be nearing a solution. We hear about the attacks on Godfrey Ablewhite and moneylender Septimus Luker, and the bank deposit of a precious jewel by Luker. "The Moonstone?" asks Rachel. The shrewd lawyer Mr Bruff thinks so. He also points out that Ablewhite was the first to leave Yorkshire for London, and thinks that things look bad for him.

So.... we just need the police to establish whether the "precious jewel" is indeed the Moonstone and to force Luker to say who pledged it. But nothing happens. This thread is left hanging. So for the next 250 pages I'm thinking, it's Ablewhite. So when it turns out to be the case, it's a huge anti-climax.

Much of the second half of the book is the narrative of Franklin Blake. Blake has been presented as an interesting modern character with a multi-cultural background: yet his narrative is matter-of-fact and rather dull. But what about that buried confession by Rosanna Spearman? A 20-page suicide note? That reads like another narrative deposition? Credibility is strained to the utmost.

Much of the last quarter of the book is given over to the reconstruction of the night of the theft. The whole idea is utterly preposterous, yet at the same time predictable. The character of Ezra Jennings is surplus to requirements anyway - the author could have expanded and changed the role of Dr Candy to deal with Jennings part of the story. I'm not impressed by Sergeant Cuff - he comes to the wrong conclusion and fails to solve the mystery, in fact he's no more effective than the boneheaded local bobbies.

But in spite of the above, there is a lot to admire in this book. A huge effort has gone into the construction of the story, and in the creation of a cast of interesting and (largely) believable characters. Above all, the book is a work of great originality (though much imitated since).

Btw, you can't sink into quicksand over your head, except in fiction. The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Woman in Black, and several other works repeat this canard.

4 people found this helpful

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The Moonstone Paperback – August 23, 2014

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