The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins September 23, 2006

What a delightful book. It has it all: robbery, murder, mysterious Hindoos, precious gems, deceit, romance, humor, politcial and religious satire, interesting characters, even quicksand. I have to admit, I started the book by reading the introduction by some professor, and it was pretty dry and clinical. The last time I read an introduction, I didn't read the book, it sounded so boring. Luckily, I have read several reviews praising The Moonstone, so I kept going. It was so worth it. I usually don't try to solve mysteries as I read them, but I did figure this one out shortly before it is revealed. I imagine most readers do, but not until the end. Collins doles his clues a few at a time which keeps the reader guessing. There were so many twists and turns that I had to stop and think where I was. The story traces the whereabouts of a cursed diamond called the Moonstone. It is given to Rachel on her 18th birthday and disappears that very night. The entire story is told by a series of affidavit-like commentaries of the characters involved. Gabriel Betteredge, the house steward, narrates a the first half of the book. He is the true faithful servant and absolutely hilarious with his faithfulness to the philosophy of "Robinson Crusoe."
Some of his sayings to the reader:
~~~"I set down here Mr. Franklin's careless questions and my foolish answer, as a consolation to all stupid people--it being, as I have remarked, a great satisfaction to our inferior fellow-creatures to find that their betters are, on occasions, no brighter than they are."
~~~"Pay attention to it, or you will be all abroad, when we get deeper into the story. Clear your mind of the children, or the dinner, or the new bonnet, or what not. Try if you can't forget politics, horses, prices in the City, and grievances at the club. I hope you won't take this freedom on my part amiss; it's only a way I have of appealing to the gentle reader. Lord! haven't I seen you with the greatest authors in your hands, and don't I know how ready your attention is to wander when it's a book that asks for it, instead of a person?"
~~~"Self-willed--devilish self-willed sometimes--I grant; but the finest creature, nevertheless, that ever walked the ways of this lower world. Perhaps you think you see a certain contradiction here? In that case, a word in your ear. Study your wife closely, for the next four-and-twenty hours. If your good lady doesn't exhibit something in the shape of a contradiction in that time, Heaven help you!--you have married a monster.
~~~"There's a bottom of good sense, Mr. Franklin, in our conduct to our mothers, when they first start us on the journey of life. We are all of us more or less unwilling to be brought into the world. And we are all of us right."
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Godfrey Ablewhite, a charming speaker and fund raiser for charities said,
~~~"Leave me my delusions, dearest! I must have that to cherish, and to comfort me, if I have nothing else."
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Ezra Jennings, the strange doctor's assistant with the unfortunate appearance,
~~~"---all classical works; all (of course) immeasurably superior to anything produced in later times; and all (from my present point of view) possessing the one great merit of enchaining nobody's interest, and exciting nobody's brain."
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Collins was quite the free spirit and ridicules many institutions of British society in this book. And he does it with such great humor. A truly enjoyable read. I'll have to read the "Women in White" someday.
Rating: 5

11 Comments:
Joy said...
Glad to read that you enjoyed this one. :) Now you're on to the A ~ Z reads, right!?!I don't try to solve mysteries either, not purposefully anyway.I like the quote by Godfrey that you shared. :)
jenclair said...
I just ordered The Woman in White and now wish I'd gone ahead and ordered The Moonstone, too. It has been decades since I read them, but I loved them both.
booklogged said...
Sounds like an excellent book. I need to put Woman in White closer to the top of my list. And maybe someday I'll even get to Moonstone. Sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store, except I'm an adult and instead of candy it's books. With every book review I read I want to stop what I'm reading and start the book that was reviewed. That can happen several times within minutes! Is it too late to learn to speed read?
Bellezza said...
I haven't read Moonstone, but I loved Women In White so much that I recommended it to one of my Book Clubs. Even though it's monstrously thick, everyone was glad they read it, so I hope you'll like it too.
Bookfool said...
I haven't gotten around to reading The Moonstone, but it's been on my shelf for ages. Thanks for the wonderful review, which should serve as an adequate nudge to try to squeeze this title in. BTW, mind if I add you to my Bloggy Links? I just found you through another blog - I'm blog-hopping and I have no idea which one, but I'm having fun reading and would love to stick you on my list of links.
Framed said...
Bookfool, please add me to your links. I enjoy your comments. Hope you don't mind if I add you to mine also. I've hopped to your site before. I'm really adding "Woman in White" to my TBR list. Collins is such a fun author.
Bookfool said...
I'm just adding you now, Framed. Thanks for visiting and adding me to your links. I've read several reviews of Woman in White, lately, and I think it may end up on my list, soon, as well. We'll see. This fool needs to work on reading the books she already has piled up, before bringing any more home, so I'll wait till I've managed to read The Moonstone. The good news is that I found my copy, today! Yahoo to that! :)
booklogged said...
Are you reading your first A book? Do you own the earlier books in Susan Wittig Albert's series? If so, I would love to borrow them if I may. Have read the first one, so I need Witches' Bane and Hangman's Root.
Carl V. said...
I am reading The Woman in White right now and also purchased The Moonstone at the same time. I'm enjoying Collins so far and have a feeling that I'll really like Moonstone when I get to it.
Framed said...
Booklogged, I checked my shelves. Besides the three Susan Wittig Albert books on my TBR list, I have "Thyme of Death", "Rosemary Remembered", and "Rueful Death." You're welcome to borrow them.
Framed said...
Forgot to answer your other question, Booklogged. I'm reading "Abraham Lincoln." That's one I wasn't looking forward to, but I am enjoying it very much and learning a lot. I'm to 1862 and just over half-way through. That tells you where the emphasis lies in this book.