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The Moonstone (Modern Library Classics)
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Manufacturer: Modern Library
Author: Wilkie Collins
Publisher: Modern Library
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Our Price: $7.95
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Modern Library
Author: Wilkie Collins
Publisher: Modern Library
Average Customer Rating:
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The Moonstone (Modern Library Classics) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780375757853
ISBN: 0375757856
Label: Modern Library
Manufacturer: Modern Library
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 528
Publication Date: 2001-09-11
Publisher: Modern Library
Product Release Date: 2001-09-11
Studio: Modern Library
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780375757853
ISBN: 0375757856
Label: Modern Library
Manufacturer: Modern Library
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 528
Publication Date: 2001-09-11
Publisher: Modern Library
Product Release Date: 2001-09-11
Studio: Modern Library
Editorial Review of The Moonstone (Modern Library Classics)
"The Moonstone is a page-turner," writes Carolyn Heilbrun. "It catches one up and unfolds its amazing story through the recountings of its several narrators, all of them enticing and singular." Wilkie Collins’s spellbinding tale of romance, theft, and murder inspired a hugely popular genre–the detective mystery. Hinging on the theft of an enormous diamond originally stolen from an Indian shrine, this riveting novel features the innovative Sergeant Cuff, the hilarious house steward Gabriel Betteridge, a lovesick housemaid, and a mysterious band of Indian jugglers.
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the definitive 1871 edition.
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the definitive 1871 edition.
Customer Reviews of The Moonstone (Modern Library Classics)
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: A Detective Story for the Ages
Review: The Moonstone was recommended to me by my cousin during a recent trip to Ireland. I must say that at first, I had a hard time getting into the book, but then I was absorbed by the well-crafted and realistic characters. Though these characters would have "lived" about 150 years ago, they jumped off the page with their idiosyncrasies and humorous outlook on life. The only complaint that I have about the characters is that their names were a bit heavy-handed, falling under the guise of "charactonyms", such Mr. Bruff, the grumpy family attorney, and Godfrey Ablewhite, the overly-involved church volunteer. The tales of Miss Clack and Mr. Betteridge caused me to intermittently laugh out loud, and Mr. Betteridge's devotion to Robinson Crusoe as his chosen life anthem was priceless.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Candy box of surprises
Review: Pastiche Victorian mystery and adventure tales are currently in vogue; but why settle for an imitation when you can read the real thing?
The Moonstone is at heart a mystery and detective story about a lost diamond. The gem is a sacred Indian artefact that carries a curse, and it leaves a trail of confusion and ruin in its path. Only the virtuous are likely to survive it, and when young heiress Rachel Verinder is bequeathed the stone by an evil uncle, her love, reputation and marriage plans are immediately thrown upside down. And the theft proves equally fateful to the host of family relations, servants, friends and professional detectives who join in to help the reader solve this artfully constructed case.
But Wilkie Collins's novel, written in the era of Dickens and George Eliot, is also a commentary on the time and mores. Five principal voices, of different social and intellectual standing, alternate as the narrator, each bringing its own colour, and this helps the book pick through such archetypes as the faithful old butler, the bigoted poor relation, and the pusillanimous cousin, as well as offer glimpses of contemporary attitudes to scientific enquiry, drugs, superstition, and the law. The dialogues are equally truthful. Indeed, The Moonstone is a pleasure to read, subtly written and constantly amusing. And importantly, it skirts the pitfalls of Victorian prejudice, whether social, religious or racial. This surprising book ranks alongside the better known 19th century classics and is not to be missed.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fantastic Mystery!
Review: I have to admit that until I did a mystery search, I hadn't even heard of Wilkie Collins. Wilkie Collins name came up, along with a description of The Moonstone as being "the best of modern English detective novels" (as quoted by T.S.Eliot). Big words, indeed. With those lofty expectations, I read The Moonstone, and have to say that this mystery definitely delivered. It lived up to those words.
One of the finer aspects of Collins work is his creation of mood and suspense in the story. There is a feeling of expectation and suspense from the beginning, when the moonstone is stolen, to the case of trying to find out who stole it, to the unmasking of events, people and circumstances at the end. There is a marvelous ability to create narrative point of view from the many narratives told from the various characters. And there are many--eleven different narratives--in total. From Gabriel Betteredge to Franklin Blake to Sergeant Cuff to Miss Clack and other minor characters, Collins is able to change narrative persona and "become" that person. There is a good deal of intrigue from so many voices, because, quite frankly, you do not know if you can take what the person is saying at face value. In this way, the human element of perspective is amazingly effective in telling this mystery.
There are other elements that make this a worthy mystery. Namely, you have a diverse number of characters, who have their various motives. Throw in a love affair, a tragic character, and an exotic jewel with a curse put on it, and you have quite a remarkable suspense. I have to say that I was hooked.
As far as my own personal interests, I found Sergeant Cuff to be my favorite character. Surely, he's no Sherlock Holmes, but there is a way he goes about trying to solve the mystery that I found refreshing. He's no average sleuth. One of my favorite scenes was the "experiment" performed by Ezra Jennings in relation to the events leading up to the disappearance of the moonstone.
There is also a little comic relief thrown in from time to time in the person of Gabriel Betteredge, who believes that life's answers and secret are all contained in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
The Moonstone is an engaging work, highly detailed, and maybe a little implausible, but Collin's overcomes this. I'm glad I found this one, and I've also heard good things about The Woman in White, another Collins mystery. Definitely worth a read!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: highly enjoyable mystery
Review: I am not a big fan of mystery novels. However, I'd have to agree that
"The Moonstone" may not only the first and longest, but also the best
detective novel ever written. The story is told from the viewpoint of a number
of characters, and the writing style varies accordingly. The storytellers vividly
paint the different characters, while they are themselves brought to life
through the idiosyncracies of their writing. There is not a single, central
mystery, but a web of unexplained occurrences and actions that each writer
presents from his or her own view, adding bits of information in the process.
Therefore the fun is as much in the construction of the web of mysteries
surrounding the disappearance of the Moonstone, as in the eventual resolution.
The plot is somewhat intricate, but not too difficult to follow. In brief, a very
satisfying book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Moonstone: An Objective Analysis
Review: Wilkie Collins was an English writer who penned one of the first and greatest detective stories with his novel, The Moonstone in 1868. He not only portrayed suspense, excitement, and doubt all at the same time, but he also created a great mystery with his story of a stolen diamond.
While writing The Moonstone, Collins was grieving the loss of his mother and was also sick with rheumatic gout. His grief and illness crippled him and caused him great pain. In The Moonstone, Collins includes a character burdened with a similar illness, and thus portrays the type of pain he himself was going through. However, Collins persevered through his illness and pain to continue publishing parts of his story each week in the newspapers so he would not disappoint his English and American readers.
The mystery in The Moonstone draws the reader into exotic settings and characters which spice up the story that begins in India in 1799. An English Colonel steals a breath-taking yellow diamond from the forehead of the moon-god statue and returns to England. However, there is a curse on the person who takes the sacred gem from its intended purpose, and the curse extends to the person's family. Upon the Colonel's death, the diamond is passed on to his niece in England in 1848 on her eighteenth birthday. The diamond is stolen the very night it is presented to her at her birthday party with many guests and servants in attendance. From here on, through narratives written from the points of view of different characters, the story falls deeper into mystery, and the characters are not who they seem to be on the surface. The reader keeps wondering who took the diamond and why. The mystery is many-sided and is truly not entirely revealed until the very end, certainly not disappointing the reader, who has been taken on a long but fascinating ride.
The Moonstone definitely stands out because it is written in nineteenth century English. For an American reader, it is almost like stepping into a different time and culture. However, the old-fashioned English often times causes the reader to reread some of the words and phrasing in the sentences, lengthening the reading process. But overall, the mystery and its unraveling are fascinating, methodical and well-organized. The only drawback is that it takes the reader 552 pages before his curiosity is finally satisfied.
A.C.
Review Summary: A Detective Story for the Ages
Review: The Moonstone was recommended to me by my cousin during a recent trip to Ireland. I must say that at first, I had a hard time getting into the book, but then I was absorbed by the well-crafted and realistic characters. Though these characters would have "lived" about 150 years ago, they jumped off the page with their idiosyncrasies and humorous outlook on life. The only complaint that I have about the characters is that their names were a bit heavy-handed, falling under the guise of "charactonyms", such Mr. Bruff, the grumpy family attorney, and Godfrey Ablewhite, the overly-involved church volunteer. The tales of Miss Clack and Mr. Betteridge caused me to intermittently laugh out loud, and Mr. Betteridge's devotion to Robinson Crusoe as his chosen life anthem was priceless.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Candy box of surprises
Review: Pastiche Victorian mystery and adventure tales are currently in vogue; but why settle for an imitation when you can read the real thing?
The Moonstone is at heart a mystery and detective story about a lost diamond. The gem is a sacred Indian artefact that carries a curse, and it leaves a trail of confusion and ruin in its path. Only the virtuous are likely to survive it, and when young heiress Rachel Verinder is bequeathed the stone by an evil uncle, her love, reputation and marriage plans are immediately thrown upside down. And the theft proves equally fateful to the host of family relations, servants, friends and professional detectives who join in to help the reader solve this artfully constructed case.
But Wilkie Collins's novel, written in the era of Dickens and George Eliot, is also a commentary on the time and mores. Five principal voices, of different social and intellectual standing, alternate as the narrator, each bringing its own colour, and this helps the book pick through such archetypes as the faithful old butler, the bigoted poor relation, and the pusillanimous cousin, as well as offer glimpses of contemporary attitudes to scientific enquiry, drugs, superstition, and the law. The dialogues are equally truthful. Indeed, The Moonstone is a pleasure to read, subtly written and constantly amusing. And importantly, it skirts the pitfalls of Victorian prejudice, whether social, religious or racial. This surprising book ranks alongside the better known 19th century classics and is not to be missed.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fantastic Mystery!
Review: I have to admit that until I did a mystery search, I hadn't even heard of Wilkie Collins. Wilkie Collins name came up, along with a description of The Moonstone as being "the best of modern English detective novels" (as quoted by T.S.Eliot). Big words, indeed. With those lofty expectations, I read The Moonstone, and have to say that this mystery definitely delivered. It lived up to those words.
One of the finer aspects of Collins work is his creation of mood and suspense in the story. There is a feeling of expectation and suspense from the beginning, when the moonstone is stolen, to the case of trying to find out who stole it, to the unmasking of events, people and circumstances at the end. There is a marvelous ability to create narrative point of view from the many narratives told from the various characters. And there are many--eleven different narratives--in total. From Gabriel Betteredge to Franklin Blake to Sergeant Cuff to Miss Clack and other minor characters, Collins is able to change narrative persona and "become" that person. There is a good deal of intrigue from so many voices, because, quite frankly, you do not know if you can take what the person is saying at face value. In this way, the human element of perspective is amazingly effective in telling this mystery.
There are other elements that make this a worthy mystery. Namely, you have a diverse number of characters, who have their various motives. Throw in a love affair, a tragic character, and an exotic jewel with a curse put on it, and you have quite a remarkable suspense. I have to say that I was hooked.
As far as my own personal interests, I found Sergeant Cuff to be my favorite character. Surely, he's no Sherlock Holmes, but there is a way he goes about trying to solve the mystery that I found refreshing. He's no average sleuth. One of my favorite scenes was the "experiment" performed by Ezra Jennings in relation to the events leading up to the disappearance of the moonstone.
There is also a little comic relief thrown in from time to time in the person of Gabriel Betteredge, who believes that life's answers and secret are all contained in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
The Moonstone is an engaging work, highly detailed, and maybe a little implausible, but Collin's overcomes this. I'm glad I found this one, and I've also heard good things about The Woman in White, another Collins mystery. Definitely worth a read!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: highly enjoyable mystery
Review: I am not a big fan of mystery novels. However, I'd have to agree that
"The Moonstone" may not only the first and longest, but also the best
detective novel ever written. The story is told from the viewpoint of a number
of characters, and the writing style varies accordingly. The storytellers vividly
paint the different characters, while they are themselves brought to life
through the idiosyncracies of their writing. There is not a single, central
mystery, but a web of unexplained occurrences and actions that each writer
presents from his or her own view, adding bits of information in the process.
Therefore the fun is as much in the construction of the web of mysteries
surrounding the disappearance of the Moonstone, as in the eventual resolution.
The plot is somewhat intricate, but not too difficult to follow. In brief, a very
satisfying book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Moonstone: An Objective Analysis
Review: Wilkie Collins was an English writer who penned one of the first and greatest detective stories with his novel, The Moonstone in 1868. He not only portrayed suspense, excitement, and doubt all at the same time, but he also created a great mystery with his story of a stolen diamond.
While writing The Moonstone, Collins was grieving the loss of his mother and was also sick with rheumatic gout. His grief and illness crippled him and caused him great pain. In The Moonstone, Collins includes a character burdened with a similar illness, and thus portrays the type of pain he himself was going through. However, Collins persevered through his illness and pain to continue publishing parts of his story each week in the newspapers so he would not disappoint his English and American readers.
The mystery in The Moonstone draws the reader into exotic settings and characters which spice up the story that begins in India in 1799. An English Colonel steals a breath-taking yellow diamond from the forehead of the moon-god statue and returns to England. However, there is a curse on the person who takes the sacred gem from its intended purpose, and the curse extends to the person's family. Upon the Colonel's death, the diamond is passed on to his niece in England in 1848 on her eighteenth birthday. The diamond is stolen the very night it is presented to her at her birthday party with many guests and servants in attendance. From here on, through narratives written from the points of view of different characters, the story falls deeper into mystery, and the characters are not who they seem to be on the surface. The reader keeps wondering who took the diamond and why. The mystery is many-sided and is truly not entirely revealed until the very end, certainly not disappointing the reader, who has been taken on a long but fascinating ride.
The Moonstone definitely stands out because it is written in nineteenth century English. For an American reader, it is almost like stepping into a different time and culture. However, the old-fashioned English often times causes the reader to reread some of the words and phrasing in the sentences, lengthening the reading process. But overall, the mystery and its unraveling are fascinating, methodical and well-organized. The only drawback is that it takes the reader 552 pages before his curiosity is finally satisfied.
A.C.