A review by tjwallace04
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I have to admit that I was a little bit nervous about reading "The Moonstone." For one thing, I have read several other books by Wilkie Collins in the past year that were mediocre: "The Dead Secret" and "Basil" (oh my gosh, "Basil" is such a bonkers book). Secondly, I decided to listen to "The Moonstone" as an audiobook, and my version was 20.5 hours long. I sometimes get frustrated with long audiobooks (cough cough, Dracula, cough) and just.want.them.to.be.over.
Well, I am happy to report that I really enjoyed "The Moonstone." It kept my attention from beginning to end, and while I do think it could have been somewhat shorter, I was thoroughly entertained throughout. The story was not quite what I was anticipating. I was expecting more exotic locations and supernatural occurrences related to the mysterious, storied diamond. But "The Moonstone" is more of a straightforward mystery, set firmly in England. And I learned that it is considered to be among the first detective novels ever written, which is cool in and of itself. I can't say that I found the eventual resolution of the mystery very satisfying, (view spoiler), but I still enjoyed the ride.
In my opinion, The Moonstone's real strength is in its characters, particularly two of the main narrators: Gabriel Betteredge and Drusilla Clack. Betteredge, a loyal and keen-eyed servant, is lovable and hilarious, and Clack, a judgemental religious fanatic, is awful and hilarious, and I really couldn't get enough of either of them. Clack's character, especially, still felt so relevant today. The novel revolves around Rachel Verinder, the inheritor of the titular moonstone. She isn't given a narrative voice, but I also found her very interesting. Her actions and opinions felt much more modern than I would have expected from a book published in 1868. She is not the helpless, fainting heroine of some Victorian novels. She has attitude and sass and strong convictions.
Finally, I was pleasantly surprised by how Collins shows a lot of sensitivity and respect to both class divisions and other cultures, another element that makes this book feel ahead of its time. Betteredge, the steward, is really the main voice of the story, and Roseanna is another servant character who is given a lot of page time and treated with respect rather than as comic relief or easy villain.
Overall, "The Moonstone" was a fun read, and and now, to honor dear Gabriel Betteredge, I feel like I should read "Robinson Crusoe." Maybe in 2024. 😅
Well, I am happy to report that I really enjoyed "The Moonstone." It kept my attention from beginning to end, and while I do think it could have been somewhat shorter, I was thoroughly entertained throughout. The story was not quite what I was anticipating. I was expecting more exotic locations and supernatural occurrences related to the mysterious, storied diamond. But "The Moonstone" is more of a straightforward mystery, set firmly in England. And I learned that it is considered to be among the first detective novels ever written, which is cool in and of itself. I can't say that I found the eventual resolution of the mystery very satisfying, (view spoiler), but I still enjoyed the ride.
In my opinion, The Moonstone's real strength is in its characters, particularly two of the main narrators: Gabriel Betteredge and Drusilla Clack. Betteredge, a loyal and keen-eyed servant, is lovable and hilarious, and Clack, a judgemental religious fanatic, is awful and hilarious, and I really couldn't get enough of either of them. Clack's character, especially, still felt so relevant today. The novel revolves around Rachel Verinder, the inheritor of the titular moonstone. She isn't given a narrative voice, but I also found her very interesting. Her actions and opinions felt much more modern than I would have expected from a book published in 1868. She is not the helpless, fainting heroine of some Victorian novels. She has attitude and sass and strong convictions.
Finally, I was pleasantly surprised by how Collins shows a lot of sensitivity and respect to both class divisions and other cultures, another element that makes this book feel ahead of its time. Betteredge, the steward, is really the main voice of the story, and Roseanna is another servant character who is given a lot of page time and treated with respect rather than as comic relief or easy villain.
Overall, "The Moonstone" was a fun read, and and now, to honor dear Gabriel Betteredge, I feel like I should read "Robinson Crusoe." Maybe in 2024. 😅