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Collins's story revolves around a diamond stolen from a Hindu holy place. On her eighteenth birthday, Rachel Verinder receives the diamond, but by the following morning the stone has been stolen again. As the story unravels through multiple eyewitness accounts, the elderly Sergeant Cuff - with a face "sharp as a hatchet" - looks for the culprit.

One of Collins's best-loved novels, with an exciting plot moved along by deftly-drawn characters and elegant pacing, The Moonstone was also turned into a play by Collins; the play appears as an appendix to this edition.

Average Customer Rating:

Not what I was expecting, and probably not what YOU'RE expecting...

Customer Rating:

I was ambivalent about how many stars to give this book (3 or 4), but decided on the lower number, which I will get to in a moment. First things first: if you are expecting a gothic, atmosphere-laden British detective novel, this isn't it. At all. In fact, I think this book is most aptly categorized as a satire, although it contains some classic detective novel features. (If you want Collins in Gothic mode, check out "The Haunted Hotel"). As the product description is a little sparse, I'll try to give a plot synopsis as succinctly as possible. During Britain's colonial takeover of India, a soldier steals a valuable diamond as a trophy of the conquest. Because the diamond was part of a religious artifact, it is said to be cursed, and also has 3 attendants to guard it at all times (however ineffectually). The diamond and it's Indian guardianship is passed down over several decades until the 18th birthday of Rachel Verinder, who is to inherit the diamond as part of a dubious bequest from her outcast uncle. But on the night of the party, the diamond is stolen, and everyone in the house has an opinion as to who took it, and where it will eventually turn up. The novel unfolds as each member of the household (and others) tell in turn their own stories relating to the theft of the diamond. This telling of the story in turn (meaning shifting first person point of view) is pretty unique in the annals of mystery writing, although Ian Pears did it masterfully in "An Instance of the Fingerpost", and to my knowledge this is the first time such a technique was used in English literature. Afterward it found favor with Faulkner and others, so this is significant from an historic standpoint, and offers reason enough to buy this book. So, will you enjoy this, and should you buy it? I think most people would enjoy this book, unless their taste is pretentiously high-brow. There's a lot of humor in this book, so maybe save it for a rainy day. Likewise, Collins does an excellent job of keeping the reader in suspense about what happened to the diamond, and the device of telling the story in turn is fairly ingenious and well done. However, two things about the book lowered it in my estimation. One was that this book was originally serialized, and the text suffers from a kind of "tune in next week" syndrome, rather than moving at a steady pace. The book is longer than it needed to be as a result. The second thing that detracted from the experience for me was the ending, which I feel was a bit contrived. All in all an enjoyable read, just not a productive one if you're not specifically studying the narrative technique.

enthralling and tedious

Customer Rating:

Sorry to have to disagree with all those folks who gave it 4 0r 5 stars, but this is my truthful opinion. In my title, I said "enthralling". The first narrative of the overseer, over one third of the book, was great fun. His idiosyncrasies and droll way of looking at the other characters was quite delightful. The tale itself was unfolding in a way that continued to whet one's interest as more and more unexplainable and outrageous developments occurred. What a fizzle the rest of the book proved to be! Tedious prolongation of the suspense and an unbelievable resolution resulted in irritation at having wrapped up precious reading time. The book may have historical interest as being a pioneering manifestation of the detective novel, but that isn't enough to provide a satisfying reading experience for me. Due to the glowing reviews, I had expected something with more psychological or metaphysical depth. If the author had only carried through on the promise of the first narrative, I think it would indeed have been a great book.

A Detective Story for the Ages

Customer Rating:

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.

Candy box of surprises

Customer Rating:

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.

Fantastic Mystery!

Customer Rating:

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!