books 2011 // # 13 - The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Title: The Moonstone
Author: Wilkie Collins (1824 - 1889)
Publication Date: London, 1868.
Genre: Classics. Detective. Mystery. Victorian.
Page Count: 464.
Summary: The Moonstone, a large, beautiful yet fated diamond, was stolen from an Indian shrine. It is given to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday and, that same night, stolen again.
Sergeant Cuff is employed by Rachel's mother to find the precious stone and has no shortage of suspects. By turns, those on the periphery and at the heart of the mystery tell their version of events until all is unravelled at the unexpected conclusion. [Source: the back flap].
Review in 5 words or less: Clever story with a great mystery, outstanding and memorable characters and a lovely mixture between suspense and humor. Recommended!
Personal Rating: ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ of 5.
Review:
Witness the birth of the detective novel the advertisements said and with my love for a solid "whodunit?" There really was no way I could resist this.
Just as it was the case with The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins style got me immediately. He has a hand to describe atmosphere and setting, but most of all his strength lies in characterization. Collins' characters feel real because they have flaws and quirks and peculiarities that make them lovable and very human. For instance there's Miss Drusilla Clack who is nothing short of hilarious as she "cleverly" strives to save her cousin's soul (read: force her to believe in the things Miss Clack believes in) by hiding little books and pamphlets all around the house, so at every turn she will stumble over enlightening little books with titles like "Satan among the Sofa Cushions". I laughed out loud at the mental picture. But it doesn't stop here. Aside from oh-so-gently making me root for the Indians in hopes they'll get back the diamond which is rightfully theirs, Collins introduces a character who might as well be Sherlock Holmes' predecessor, Sergeant Cuff or another lovely character by the name of Gabriel Betteredge who finds help for every situation in the pages of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
All throughout the book I kept thinking that The Moonstone is such a clever story. I loved the characterization (yes, this bears repeating because it was over-the-top amazing) and aside from the funny characters, there were persons like Ezra Jennings whose sad tale I found very touching. I really liked how Collins showed the prejudices Ezra faced just because he happens to have darker skin than the average Englishman in 1849.
Next to that I think that thanks to The Moonstone and especially Gabriel Betteredge I will now always start grinning whenever the topic comes around to Robinson Crusoe.
Finally, I really liked the ending where the Moonstone eventually found its way home to India where it belonged.
Overall I found The Moonstone to be a book that does not only offer a great mystery and a intriguing detective story, but also a decent amount of humor and - more importantly - likable and memorable characters. A great book I can only recommend. Wait for a rainy day, grab a tea and some cookies and start reading! ;)
Links: the Wilkie Collins website, @ wikipedia
Other books I've read by this author: The Woman in White (1860).