There stood Miss Rachel at the table, like a person fascinated, with the Colonel's unlucky Diamond in her hand. There, on either side of her, knelt the two Bouncers, devouring the jewel with their eyes, and screaming with ecstasy every time it flashed on them in a new light. There, at the opposite side of the table, stood Mr. Godfrey, clapping his hands like a large child, and singing out softly, "Exquisite! exquisite!" There sat Mr. Franklin in a chair by the book-case, tugging at his beard, and looking anxiously towards the window. And there, at the window, stood the object he was contemplating— my lady, having the extract from the Colonel's Will in her hand, and keeping her back turned on the whole of the company.

That blasted diamond.

I had no idea what to expect from this novel. Sure, it is deemed to be the first detective story. Sure, it is a masterpiece of gothic atmospheric writing. Sure, it had its entertaining moments.
However, the large part of this book just dragged. It dragged even more than The Woman in White! And just as in The Woman in White, the ending was a little illogical and over-complicated: - an opium-induced hallucination?
Collins' reliance on a deus ex machina solution did not work for me in The Woman in White and it did not work for me in The Moonstone.

This was a read that was quite unexpected. I am familiar with Wilkie Collins’ work and have enjoyed The Woman in White but I had no idea how much I was going to love The Moonstone!

Wilkie Collins was a law student before he became an author. His friendship with mentor Charles Dickens played an important part in his success having collaborated together on several plays and stories. Dickens published the novel in his magazine, All the Year Round in serial fashion. The Moonstone is often thought to be the first English detective novel introducing Detective Cuff to readers in 1868. Victorian readers would have been utterly captivated by the compelling plot and the intriguing case of the mystery surrounding the Moonstone.

The Moonstone will have its vengeance yet on you and yours!

The story is told by various characters through letters that they write. After the gem has been missing for 2 years, Franklin Blake has entrusted each individual to help in getting to the bottom of the mystery. Each narrative presents its writer as responsible for getting at the truth of the mystery via the epistolary style. The longest narrative is written by Gabriel Betteredge, the overseer of the Verinder house. He catches the “detective fever” brought on by our significant Detective Cuff. Betteredge also seeks out life’s guidance from his well-worn and loved copy of Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. It’s as if he gains some type of spiritual direction from the passages he reads and interprets. And this added personality quirk is just a joy to take part in. Betteredge finds joy in his favorite reading material and it translates to readers in the same way. He has some rather archaic views on women but I didn’t find them derogatory (some might) but just a quirk of his personality.

We also get the perspective of Miss Drusilla Clack who is a self-righteous Christian lady who is a cousin to the Verinder’s. Her eavesdropping tendencies and mission to save everyone from their sins with tracts that she disperses about the house for the purpose of edifying those who found and read them provide some humor. Her charity work for the Mother’s-Small-Clothes-Conversion-Society puts a satirical spin on her character. I found her a pitiable character for the way she just doesn’t give up her personal mission of soul saving. I just thought she could have used a bit of grace in her delivery.

Miss Rachel Verinder is the benefactor of the moonstone and a very independent minded young woman. We get to know her character through the narration of the other characters quite well and question some of her behaviors; however, patience in getting to the end of the complex story and plot that Collins has created will shine light on her stubbornness eventually. We never view the story from her perspective though.

As the plot unfolds, readers will wonder whether the moonstone has cursed the Verinder family. But there is a lot going for this story. There is romance, innocent characters wrongfully suspected, sinister Hindoo men lurking about, an English manor house setting and one of the most intriguing characters, the doctor’s assistant, Ezra Jennings who brings an enigmatic atmosphere to the narrative. And finally, the fact that we get to meet the eccentric rose-loving Detective Cuff makes this a perfect reason to pick up this story. And if you think you are a regular armchair detective and will be able to figure this mystery out, beware, Collins’ outdoes himself with keeping readers guessing until the very end!

I read this book to fill the Gothic square of my 2019 Halloween Bingo Card.

Well, finally, I have managed to read this Wilkie Collins classic, and I’m glad that I did. It is remarkable for the way it got detective fiction started. I could certainly see the roots of the genre in it and it reminded me strongly of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four. Sergeant Cuff, with his eye for detail and absorption in rose cultivation, seems like a clear predecessor of Sherlock Holmes, with his predilection for violin playing and smelly chemistry experiments. Both novels result from treasures stolen from the Indian subcontinent and Indian people appear in England in both cases to retrieve the ill-gotten valuables. Also appreciated was one of the earliest crime scene re-enactments in literature.

The Moonstone doesn’t rush it’s way to the finish line. Instead, it meanders and circles a bit, as the literature of the time period does. I thought that Collins must have had great fun writing the first two narrators--both Gabriel Betteredge and Drusilla Clack are entertaining for their eccentricities. Both have placed their faith in a particular book: Gabriel relies on Robinson Crusoe, while Drusilla trusts more to the Bible, or rather interpretations thereof by her favourite religious people. Each of them regards people who don’t pay attention to their book as heathens. Probably most of us have encountered a Drusilla at some point or may even count them as family members--we hope we see them before they see us, allowing us time to hide or flee!

Collins certainly reveals his excellent understanding of people with his characters. I found his depiction of Godfrey Ablewhite especially interesting, as it related to Collins’ own personal life. Godfrey proposes to Miss Rachel Verinder, but seems to be rather easily made to back away from their engagement, though it makes his father apoplectic. We learn later that he has been keeping a woman in grand style and had he succeeded in marrying Rachel, this woman would have been sure to ruin his reputation! Perhaps this is why Collins maintained two households without ever marrying either woman--they could tolerate being equal, but his marrying one would have automatically made the unmarried woman into the Other Woman, with the concomitant social censure.

Collins certainly set a pattern in literature with valuable gems being the centre pieces of mysterious goings on. I think even of modern urban fantasy such as Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews with it’s pillaged Indian crown, featuring a beautiful stone, which is used for nefarious purposes and is eventually returned to India where it belongs, with the knowledge that nothing good comes from stealing from other cultures.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins enthralled me.After that,I had to read more of his work.But I think the rest won't compare.

The Moonstone is supposed to be among the earliest English detective novels.It is the story of the theft of a priceless Indian diamond.

Couldn't finish it the first time.The way the Indians are described is rather racist and off-putting,but I suppose that is expected from authors of the Victorian era.

Going to try and finish it this time,because the author is Wilkie Collins and even if it is half as good as The Woman in White,that will be time well spent.

Hacía mucho tiempo que tenía pendiente la lectura de este libro... la espera ha valido la pena, realmente ha sido una delicia leerlo, tal como lo ha sido todos los libros que he leído de Wilkie Collins.

Este es el primer éxito de este autor y es además considerado el primer libro de detectives escrito, hace tiempo leí el libro de Asesinato de Road Hill, que habla sobre un asesinato verídico acontecido en 1860, la autora de este libro comenta además que varios escritores de la época se habían inspirado en este caso para escribir algunos de sus libros, entre ellos se menciona a Wilkie Collins y su piedra lunar, pues bueno, puedo decir que en efecto se ve a la legua la enorme inspiración, si bien, este libro no habla de un asesinato, sí que algo de la trama y el inspector de la policía es básicamente idéntico al personaje real que llevo la investigación del caso de Road Hill, ha sido un ejercicio interesante leer ambos libros.

Dicho lo anterior, sin duda alguna Collins fue un gran escritor, uno además que tenía una enorme capacidad para atrapar al lector, para generar una historia realmente interesante e intrigante, unos personajes de lo más variopinto y además, este libro está escrito por varios de sus actores a través de cartas en estilo de declaraciones que nos van narrando los hechos acontecidos en relación a la piedra lunar de acuerdo a lo que ellos recuerdan, escucharon o vieron, básicamente esta historia nos la relatan cinco de sus actores algunos protagonistas, algunos no, pero lo que es realmente fascinante es ver cómo cambia el ritmo, el estilo de contar las cosas de acuerdo a cada persona que nos va contando las cosas, me ha encantado, sobre todo, porque quienes nos relatan los hechos son personajes bastante peculiares y eso ha dotado a este libro, además de todo, de un sentido del humor ligero y delicioso.

La trama es realmente maravillosa y entretenida, es todo un enigma, pero la forma en que se aclaran los hechos es algo fantasioso y digo que eso, porque no tengo manera de saber si lo que se relata en relación a lo sucedido la noche del robo sea algo que realmente pudiera suceder, tampoco me ha resultado una sorpresa saber el nombre del culpable, era demasiado obvio, por supuesto, sin embargo, sí que a la hora de que se sabe quién ha sido el culpable del robo, me ha dejado completamente atónita, ha sido de verdad un libro divertido de leer, con todo y que me cayera muy mal la manera en que el autor habla de sexo femenino, culpa por supuesto de la época en que fue escrito, pero que no deja de ser algo molesto.

Por lo demás leer a Collins siempre es algo realmente gratificante, me encanta este escritor y de verdad este libro es una joya dentro de los clásicos que ya son unos consentidos para mí.

Questo è un ‘romanzo d’altri tempi’, definizione che per me ha connotati non negativi.
Non che io sia un’inguaribile nostalgica.
Ammetto solo, anche con un po’ di vergogna, che all’inizio ho dovuto ri-abituare la mia lettura a certi tempi, spazi, la dilatazione e il passo da maratoneta di una narrazione sontuosa. Cose che in un ‘poliziesco’ contemporaneo raramente trovano spazio.
Alla fine, però, stavo lì, famelica, a girar le pagine. Chi sarà stato? Chi sarà stato?
Ho vissuto questo romanzo come fosse un mega serial della Bbc - ne esiste più di uno tratto dal romanzo. Mi ci sentivo troppo dentro.
Un piacere immenso. Un grande classico.
Finisco qui, che già tutto è stato detto. Imperdibile.
(E comunque la zitella moralista Miss Drusilla Clack è un personaggio di cui ci sarebbe bisogno in ogni romanzo. Idolo).

“La mejor receta para la novela policíaca: el detective no debe saber nunca más que el lector.” Agatha Christie

¿De qué manera puede escribirse una obra maestra de seiscientas treinta páginas en la que nunca decae el interés por saber como termina? ¿De qué se compone la genialidad de un escritor para elaborar una historia con tantos giros, ribetes y escenas impensadas sin confundir al lector? ¿Puede un escritor ser tan hábil para mantener el suspense en una novela policial que atravesó todas las épocas desde que fue publicada allá por 1868 y que sigue cautivando aún hoy en 2017? Definitivamente sí y Wilkie Collins lo logra con la perfección de los más grandes.
Esta novela es para muchos, uno de las tres mejores novelas policiales de todos los tiempos y todos esos componentes que yo enumero en mis preguntas iniciales lo confirman.
Collins trabaja la historia en cada una de sus partes atada al evento principal que es el robo de un enorme diamante, llamado "la piedra lunar" durante el cumpleaños número dieciocho de Miss Rachel Verdiner, pero ese diamante posee toda una historia detrás que es la que el autor anticipa en los capítulos iniciales, puesto que de otra manera no entenderíamos cómo se suceden los hechos.
La preciosa gema ha sido traída desde un templo de la India en forma indebida y esto le acarreará a los que la posean un sinnúmero de inconvenientes en los personajes que formaron parte de ese cumpleaños y que son los que se relatan a lo largo del libro.
Para que todo esto tenga cohesión y solidez, Collins dispone la trama a partir de los testimonios, en gran parte del mayordomo de la familia, Gabriel Betteredge, cuya reconstrucción de lo sucedido, ocupa casi un cuarto de la extensión del libro pero que a la postre es clave para que el lector pueda guiarse en los hechos narrados.
Un dato muy pintoresco acerca de este particular personaje es que utiliza como guía para su vida el libro Robinson Crusoe de Daniel Defoe. Para él es su Biblia y siempre sostiene que muchas de las cosas que sucede en ese libro o las frases de Crusoe dice son casi proféticas para él.
Gabriel Betteredge es un personaje muy especial y esta característica logra que el lector sienta una profunda empatía para con este pintoresco anciano.
Ahora bien. Betteredge no es el único de los implicados en esto. No es tan fácil arribar al descubrimiento de quién se robó la gema ni de cuántas personas hay implicadas en ello y cuáles son las verdaderamente sospechosas. Es a partir de los relatos de los otros testigos que comenzamos a desanudar los secretos que la desaparición del diamante esconden.
Jorge Luis Borges, en su brillante prólogo de la edición del libro que yo tengo nos revela que Wilkie Collins tiene el honor de haber aportado en la figura del Sargento Cuff alprimer detective británico de la literatura y es verdad: Sherlock Holmes fue creado por Sir Arthur Conan Doyle recién en 1887 mientras que "La piedra lunar" fue publicada en 1868, o sea 19 años.
Para todo aquel lector desprevenido, comento que estos son detectives británicos en la literatura. Digo esto porque el creador del género policial fue mi querido Edgar Allan Poe a partir de "Los crímenes de la calle Morgue", cuyo detective Auguste C. Dupin fue el pionero, dado que ese cuento fue publicado en 1841.
Pero volviendo a esta maravillosa novela, nos encontramos con una serie de personajes tan disímiles como enigmáticos, sospechosos o carismáticos. Conoceremos a Rosana Spearman, la enamoradiza criada de la mansión en la que se desarrolla la historia, como dijera previamente, al Sargento Cuff, contratado para dilucidar el misterio del robo, a Franklin Blake, uno de los personajes principales, enamorado de Rachel y que tendrá un papel fundamental en todo esto junto al sargento Cuff, Gabriel Betteredge y el abogado Bruff.
También son de vital importancia personajes como Penélope Betteredge, hija del mayordomo, a Míster Godfrey Ablewhite, filántropo y en rivalidad con Francis Blake por el corazón de Rachel, a Miss Clack, la prima pobre de la familia Verinder dominada por un ferviente fanatismo religioso metodista, al abogado de la familia, Matthew Bruff, quien también tiene preponderancia en el asunto del esclarecimiento del robo y Ezra Jennings, un personaje que aportará datos clave hacia el final del libro.
Es destacable la manera en que Collins delinea a sus personajes. Con esto me refiero a que trabaja la psicología, las actitudes y las acciones de los mismo de manera convincente.
El autor puede tanto posicionarse en la piel de una caballero filántropo como en la piel de un inescrutable abogado, en la brillantez de un médico avezado o pasar del metodismo del sargento Richard Cuff hasta los desvaríos de una criada ardorosamente enamorada del apuesto Franklin Blake, como es el caso de Rosana Spearman.
En todos los personajes Collins deja su sello y cada una de las partes que interviene en el caso del robo de la piedra lunar aportan sus testimonios que son vitales para la resolución del caso.
El lector va de un personaje a otro intentado descubrir quién robó efectivamente la gema y las marchas y contramarchas de la trama lo mantienen atento a cada mínimo detalle.
Todas las piezas terminan encajando en un sorprendente final como sólo Wilkie Collins podía hacerlo.
Como establezco al principio, no cualquier escritor puede escribir una novela policial como esta y mantener la curiosidad, el misterio y la atracción del lector a lo largo de una novela tan extensa.
Tanto lectores como escritores expertos en la materia sostienen que esta es una de las tres mejores novelas policiales de la literatura. Casualmente este año también leí “Diez negritos” de Agatha Cristie, novela que posiblemente esté en ese selecto grupo.
Más allá de que no soy un lector habitual de novelas policiales me animo a asegurar que difícilmente pueda leer otra que sobrepase en misterio, riqueza técnica literaria y trama argumental como lo que me ha generado “La piedra luna” y la otra que indico en esta reseña.
Probablemente me recomendarán los que saben que lea más novelas de Agatha Cristie, quien es considerada la mejor escritora de novelas policiales de todos los tiempos (y creo que en eso no hay discusión).
Ha sido un placer llegar al final para descubrir el robo de la asombrosa piedra lunar.
¿Se animan, ustedes lectores, a intentar descubrirlo como yo lo hice?

I can see why I found it fascinating in my youth, it is an enjoyable and well written precursor to well known detective novels.

Wow, the last hundred pages or so, wow. This book is said to be the first mystery ever written, certainly not like mysteries we have read in the last 100 years.

I loved how this long story evolved, the story of the missing Moonstone being told first by the senior butler of the family (referred to as the house steward), Gabriel Betteredge. His engagement with the reader, talking directly to us, love, loved it. Only in the books written in the mid 1850’s do you see this style.

Oh, then the writing in this classic:

“the one thing to be done was to clap the extinguisher upon Penelope’s curiosity on the spot”

“Different women have different ways of riding the high horse. My late Mrs. Betteredge took her exercise on that favourite animal whenever I happened to deny her anything that she had her heart set on.”

There is so much more in my notes, however need to reflect a bit this morning. Oh, also any lovers of Robinson Crusoe, you will love the references to that classic book too by Mr.Betteredge. It has been so worth the last two weeks of my reading time.

گذشته از داستان جذاب و پرکشش، ترجمة بدیعی هم در حد شاهکاره، بخصوص در بخشهایی که از زبان خدمتکاری روایت می شه که سعی می کنه ادبی و لفظ قلم حرف بزنه

Quando per l’ennesima volta, ma con maggiore determinazione delle precedenti, ho preso in mano questo poderoso romanzo di William Wilkie Collins, memore della precedente, appagante lettura di “La Donna in Bianco” dello stesso autore, non sapevo come sarebbe andata a finire ma oggi, a lettura conclusa, sono felice di affermare che “La Pietra di Luna” è davvero un grande e soddisfacente romanzo giallo nel quale la verità finale e lo scioglimento di quell’enigma che viene a prodursi fin dalle prime pagine, possono convincere anche il lettore più critico e intransigente, oltre che rappresentare un ottimo esempio di romanzo inglese ottocentesco nel quale amore e sentimenti e quell’atmosfera così caratteristica della società vittoriana, riescono a ritagliarsi un loro spazio grazie al quale l’opera acquista maggior pregio e spessore. Superfluo e inutile addentrarsi nella trama: basti sapere che un grosso e preziosissimo diamante, trafugato molti anni prima da un tempio Indiano e giunto in Inghilterra nelle mani della giovane Rachel Verinder nel giorno del suo diciottesimo compleanno, sparisce improvvisamente durante la notte successiva, generando sgomento collettivo, sospetti e dubbi, nonché un mistero apparentemente senza risposta: menti raffinate di poliziotti e investigatori, proveranno a districare la matassa senza risultato anche per la risoluta, intransigente decisione di Rachel di non collaborare alle indagini e solo la cocciuta volontà di un giovane innamorato incapace di arrendersi anche di fronte all’evidenza, riuscirà nell’intento di svelare l’arcano, regalando un finale al quale il lettore non può che esclamare: “Chapeau”!

The Moonstone is probably the most popular work of Wilkie Collins in his day. Perhaps it still is or perhaps The Woman in White rivals its rank at present times. But no matter, its popularity in Collin's day is no secret. Named as the first detective fiction of English literature, The Moonstone paved the way and laid the ground rules on modern detective novels. In that sense, The Moonstone is pioneer of the genre.

With his customary use of different narrators, Collins works on his story on a good plotline. The story is very cleverly built. We meet a professional detective and a few amateur detectives working hard at discovering the mysterious disappearance of a valuable Indian diamond named the "moonstone" from an English household. Suspense and intrigue are two vital features of detective fiction. Collins seems quite aware of this, for he slowly unfolds the story behind the moonstone, how it comes to be in English soil from the forehead of an Indian deity. The atmosphere is dramatically built informing the reader of an upcoming possible theft. Collins makes the reader impatient until the contemplated event takes place. The theft of the moonstone is one climax of the story; one can even say it is the first part of the story. The next part is to discover the thief (if it was stolen) and to recover the moonstone. Again Collins goes to the bottom and starts building the tension and suspense on the reader till the second climax, where the mystery is finally cleared up.

I have always enjoyed Collins's use of multiple narrators. Their different styles of narration influenced by their own perspectives provide different tones and colour to the story. There were six narrators and I found each of the narration to be different. The story begins with a pretty humorous narrative of Gabriel Betteredge. This then is followed by the eccentric Miss Clack. Mr. Bruff then proceeds with a matter-of-fact narrative before passing the baton to Mr. Franklin Blake. Blake's narrative is passionate. Of all the narratives, I found his narrative to be the most intense. His narrative is then followed by the sympathetic narrative of Ezra Jennings and the professional narrative of Sergeant Cuff. It is difficult to account for the reliability of these narrators, but these different narratives made the reading more interesting and engaging.

There are many characters involved in the story. However, unlike in other works that I've read of Collins, I found myself a bit detached from the characters. We find a spirited young woman with an independent mind in the guise of Rachel Verinder. But unfortunately, the flow of the story is such that it was difficult to like her till the very end. I didn't dislike any of the characters; rather, I was a little aloof from them. If I came close to liking any, it was Sergeant Cuff, Blake, and Jennings. However, my indifference towards the characters did not impede my enjoyment of the story as a whole. This was one novel where the story was more interesting for its plot than the characters.

The one complaint I have is that the story was very slowly developed. For detective fiction, the pace was not fast enough; at least it was not enough for my impatient self. However, being the first in the genre and that Collins wrote this for serial publication under severe suffering from attacks of 'rheumatic gout', one has to make allowances.

I liked the book, no doubt there. But I expected more from it given the immense popularity. To me personally, the book didn't live up to the standard of The Woman in White and No Name - the two other books of his that I've read and loved.