"The Moonstone will have its vengeance yet on you and yours!"
Stolen from a Hindoo shrine by an Englishman, the Moonstone is a large yellow diamond with a curse on it--a promise of "certain disaster to the presumptuous mortal who laid hands on the sacred gem, and to all his house and name who received it after him." Upon his death, the Englishman leaves it to his niece, Rachel Verinder, in his will. It is presented to her by her cousin, Mr. Franklin Blake, on her birthday. Twelve hours later the diamond disappears. What follows is the mystery of the Moonstone.
T.S. Eliot called this novel, "The first, the longest and the best of the modern English detective novels." This mystery is a great example of Victorian fiction. Each section is narrated by a different character who was witness to certain events surrounding the mystery, like the rambling Gabriel Betteridge, one of Lady Verinder's servants, and the tedious Miss Clack, Mr. Bruff, the straight-forward lawyer, and most important of all, Franklin Blake himself. (I enjoyed some narratives more than others, can you tell?) While I didn't love this book as much as I did Collins' The Woman in White, I did enjoy the many characters and the cautious unfolding of the mystery. Needless to say, at 446 pages this book is not a fast-paced page-turning thriller. It moves slow, but it's still a fun mystery. Wondering what really happened to the Moonstone kept me reading for 400+ pages. But then, I really like Wilkie Collins. I can't wait to read his novel, Armadale, next year.
Happy Reading!
P.S. If you've never read Wilkie Collins before I recommend reading The Woman in White first. It's my favorite (and his best).
I'm curious about his other work (other than Woman in White) as well....
ReplyDeleteMe, too. I picked up a used copy of Armadale recently and want to read it next year. I have read his shorter novella The Haunted Hotel and thought it was good.
DeleteI am not a huge mystery reader, so I might not make it through this one. I do want to read Woman in White someday, though. Congrats on your 10th classic!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll like The Woman in White. It's awesome. Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteI enjoyed this too but I agree that The Woman in White is better. I'm envious that you still have Armadale to look forward to - I think it's probably my favourite Collins novel!
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad to know that. Makes me want to read it even more. :)
DeleteI read these years ago and then re-read them for one of Carl's RIP challenges a couple of years back and was pleased that I still loved them. The Woman in White is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteMine, too! Collins is such a great author. (And he writes perfect R.I.P. read.) Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteThanks for the recommendation. I had this one on my Classics Club list but maybe I will switch to the Woman in White for my first Collins!
ReplyDeleteThis book is good...but The Woman in White is so much better. Definitely read that one!
DeleteI'm right there with you -- The Woman in White is even better. I'm eager to hear what you think of Armadale; I haven't read it and wonder how it compares with his two best-known novels.
ReplyDeleteI've heard good things about Armadale...I'll let you know what I think when I get it read. :)
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