The Moonstone

Wilkie Collins & an illustrated edition from 1946

This morning I *finally* finished reading Wilkie Collins's mysterious detective story, The Moonstone (1868). I hadn't read a full length Collins novel before, only 'Mr Wray's Cash-Box' one of his shorter stories, so I was keen to dig into this 473 page book. The story centers around the disappearance of a precious Indian diamond from an English house. In many ways the story reminded me of other Victorian texts I'd read where an oriental threat appears to invade an English landscape; particularly Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four (1890) and Richard Marsh's The Beetle (1897). It took me longer than I expected to get through The Moonstone, in fact I think I got through Dickens's epic Bleak House in less time, but in many ways this is because Collins invites his reader to play a time-consuming role as detective themselves. The narrative shifts constantly as various plot details are explained by different characters; from household servants who enjoy smoking pipes and reading Robinson Crusoe, to piebald Doctor's addicted to opium, and self-righteously religious cousins. At the same time, while you read over the various narrative accounts you're challenged as a reader to judge the quality of the narrative for yourself; is the narrator trustworthy? how does their particular take on events compare to the same events described by others? how does each individual narrator figure in the narratives of the others? In this way, the novel challenges its readership by subtly asking these complex questions and testing the reader's own skills of detection and observation. I definitely think this would be a novel that would benefit from a second reading. Have you read any Wilkie Collins? What did you think of The Moonstone if you've read it? I'd be interested to hear.

So the years pass, and repeat each other; so the same events revolve in the cycles of time. What will be the next adventures of the Moonstone? Who can tell! 

p.473

p.s. an informative post about Wilkie Collins's life

p.p.s. reading this story made me dream about wearing moonstones even more!

Moonstones

One, Two, Three, Four

Do you like gemstones? I think I often prefer them to more expensive stones like diamonds and sapphires (though, FYI, I wouldn't refuse diamonds or sapphires). I've recently discovered my favorite gemstone: the moonstone. I love its muted tones of grey and iridescent white, and bezel set in simple gold the moonstone is understated and stunning. As June draws closer, and with it the Victorian reading challenge, I thought it might be fitting if I put The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins at the top of my reading list, and perhaps once I've finished reading it I might treat myself to a pair of those earrings.