Plot Synopsis
A yellow diamond with a rich history is stolen from a young girl's bedroom. What follows is a whodunit of extraordinary detail and tone.

My Thoughts
Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone is widely regarded as the first piece of detective fiction. Including an intelligent, eccentric detective, a gem stolen after a party in a country manor, and of course opium, I can feel the beginnings of the popular and Gothic mystery in its pages.

But it isn't the original plot line that captivated me; it is the characters. The Moonstone contains some of the most intriguing characters I have ever read. From the humble servant Gabriel Betteredge to the prissy and self-righteous Drusilla Clack to the opium-addicted Ezra Jennings, these are people you want to know about, and they speak directly to you as The Moonstone is an epistolary novel with multiple characters recounting firsthand events in their unique tone of voice.

I won't go into detail on the plot as I would hate to spoil it for any readers, and I honestly believe these characters should be discovered through reading the novel. Plus, the other reviewers of this book have done a tremendous job introducing you to the plot and characters.

Memorable Scene: I can't get over the part in the beginning where Betteredge is describing how he chose his wife. He decided to marry the woman who kept house for him so that he didn't have to pay for her services. He believes "it will be cheaper to marry her than to keep her." Sexist but particularly hilarious to me because you can't help but love Betteredge.

Memorable Quote: Once self-supported by conscience, once embarked on a career of manifest usefulness, the true Christian never yields. Neither the public nor private influences produce the slightest effect on us, when we have once got our mission. Taxation may be the consequence of a mission; riots may be the consequence of a mission; wars may be the consequence of a mission; we go on with our work, irrespective of every human consideration which moves the world outside us. We are above reason; we are beyond ridicule; we see with nobody's eyes, we hear with nobody's ears, we feel with nobody's hearts, but our own. (This is my problem with religion stated quite succinctly). ( )

A family heirloom (a stolen Moonstone) goes missing just as a young girl is about to inherit it on her birthday. A detective comes onto the scene to try to solve the crime. The characters are all suspects, for different reasons. The unraveling of the mystery causes many secrets to be revealed and even murder is twisted into the plot. A good Victorian read and a wonderful story, but a little difficult for most young people to grasp.

I though the complexity of characters really heighten the reader experience.

I really do enjoy Wilkie Collins! It is no coincidence that his work somewhat resembles Charles Dickens’ novels because they were good friends and Dickens was a mentor to the younger Collins. I sometimes think of Collins as Dickens “lite” –much quicker reads than Dickens and almost as much fun.

The Moonstone is a classic mystery story with some exotic overtones. The story is told from different points of view as persons involved in the events leading to and succeeding the theft of the Moonstone have been asked to write down their parts of the story after the facts. One of the delights of the novel is how Collins brilliantly lets the characters reveal themselves with their qualities and quirks as they relate their views of the events. Miss Clack is the best example of this type of revelation—a classic view of someone who has no clue how she is perceived by others.

My only regret in this book is that I would have liked to have gotten more in depth revelations about Rachel, the women who received the Moonstone as a gift. She seemed to be a strong person, similar to Marian Halcombe in [Woman in White], and she certainly was headstrong. But we never really get a chance to know her beyond her reactions to the events. Another intriguing character in the novel is the British detective Sergeant Cuff. A foot note in my book says that this police officer was modeled on the famous Scotland Yard detective Mr. Jonathon Wicher. The next book on my list to read is [The Suspicions of Mr. Wicher], the story of the case that ruined his career.

Bottom line: An exciting and intelligently written mystery from the Victorian era, this book should appeal to lovers of good literature, Victorian novels, and/or great mysteries. ( )

This was such a fun book! Full of detective-story cliches, but it was written before the cliches began - sort of the jumping-off point of detective fiction. It's all very dramatic, a bit of a Victorian melodrama in places. There is the precious stone taken from the sacred Indian idol, there is hopeless love, betrayal, mysterious foreigners, deception, love false and true... and there's the faithful old retainer, the brilliant detective, the dumb policeman, the mysterious stranger, the loyal lawyer, and the beautiful young woman. It's all in there, and heaps of fun.

There are some extremely suss medical procedures and diagnoses in there too - amusing from our perspective in this century. Also, the book is made up of bits and pieces written by various characters - all are highly individual, entertaining, and either very loveable, or hilariously hateable.

It's a great read, and highly recommended.