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    The Moonstone
    The Moonstone
    The Moonstone
    Audiobook (abridged)3 hours

    The Moonstone

    Written by Wilkie Collins

    Narrated by Clive Swift, Chris Larkin, Bill Homewood and

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    When Rachel Verinder inherits the Moonstone, a huge and priceless diamond, her delight turns to dismay when the gem disappears. But this is no ordinary theft. Sergeant Cuff of Scotland Yard is called in and immediately suspects an intricate plot. However, not even his powers of detection can penetrate fully the mysteries surrounding the diamond. And as we listen to each character tell their version of the events, layer upon layer of drama and suspense builds to the final and astonishing dénoument of the first, and most magnificent English detective novel.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateFeb 14, 1995
    ISBN9789629544782
    Author

    Wilkie Collins

    William Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and more than 100 essays. His best-known works are The Woman in White and The Moonstone.

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    Reviews for The Moonstone

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    • 4/5
      Called "the first and greatest of English detective novels" by T.S.Eliot, The Moonstone is a masterpiece of suspense. A fabulous yellow diamond becomes the dangerous inheritance of Rachel Verinder. Outside her Yorkshire country house watch the Hindu priests who have waited for many years to reclaim their ancient talisman, looted from the holy city of Somnauth. When the Moonstone disappears the case looks simple, but in mid-Victorian England no one is what they seem, and nothing can be taken for granted.Witnesses, suspects, and detectives each narrate the story in turn. The bemused butler, the love-stricken housemaid, the enigmatic detective Sergeant Cuff, the drug-addicted scientist--each speculate on the mystery
    • 4/5
      Well after being a mystery aficionado for years it was about time I read the seminal piece. It was well worth it. It just flowed. It was not at all hard to read like much of the literature written at that time by Collins' contemporaries like Dickens.
    • 4/5
      At the first glance this novel looks bland but the pace seems to catch up rapidly a few chapters onward. I loved the way the author fitted himself in various characters starting from the humble servant Gabriel Betteredge to the detective Sergeant Cuff and giving us different perspectives of the mystery that surrounds the moonstone. I do admit though that it is a tad bit different from the other detective novels I have read so far but it did quite make my day.
    • 4/5
      This book was very interesting and rather suspenseful. I enjoyed it somewhat more than "The Woman in White", however, this, too, dragged on a bit.
    • 5/5
      Firstly I find it truly amazing that I have never read this book before especially given that Collins's 'Woman in White' is one of my all time favourites and this book certainly does not let the side down. That said I found this one a bit of a slow burner because it was not an instant hit but once hooked it certainly reeled me in.This book is claimed by many to be the first feature length crime novel and you can certainly see echoes of those that were to follow within it. I spent most of the book willing Sergeant Cuff to say 'elementary' but of course he never did. Yet although the book revolves around the theft of a diamond it is more than just a crime novel. It is a love story, a story about moral standards and about Victorian society as a whole. It is also witty in places, I loved Druscilla Clack in particular, with her trying to convert everyone she meets to her way of thinking yet totally blind to her own flaws and I loved the image of the lawyer Bruff being described as being 'as imaginative as a cow.'The characters were so well fleshed out I felt that I was able to connect with them all in one way or another and really shows Collins was a master of his art. Personally I worked out who the real villain was fairly early (I won't give it away) even if not how but unlike most modern crime novels it just did not matter a jot. I loved this book and was almost sorry tofinish it. Almost
    • 5/5
      While storms raged, while at high tide waves hit the sea wall with such force that the house shook, I have been spent the dark evenings re-reading ‘The Moonstone’, secure in the knowledge that out house was built not long after the publication of Wilkie Collins’ wonderful book and so it has survived many storms and was so solidly built that it should survive many more.I think that ‘The Moonstone’ is pitched at the perfect point between crime fiction and sensation fiction, and it makes me wish that I could have been a Victorian reader, so that I could have read it when it was new, original and innovative, and so that I could read it with my mind uncluttered by more than a century of books that have come since then, and a few that I can think of that clearly have been influenced by this wonderful tale.I am sure that Conan-Doyle read this book; I suspect that Victoria Holt had it in mind when she named her novel ‘The Shivering Sands’; and I am quite certain that Hercule Poirot’s retirement to the country to grow vegetable marrows was a tribute to Seargeant Cuff and his wish to see out his days growing roses ….. but I’m getting ahead of myself.I’m not sure that ‘The Moonstone’ has stood the test of time as well as some of Wilkie Collins’ other work, but it is still a fine entertainment, and among the most readable of classics.The moonstone – a fabulous Hindu diamond – is seized – some would say stolen – during the storming of Seringapatam. The taker of the diamond believes it to be cursed, and takes serious steps to ensure his own safety and the safety of his jewel. In his will he leaves it to his niece, the daughter of his estranged sister. And so the moonstone is given to Rachel Verinder on her 18th birthday. That night the moonstone disappears. The case is investigated by Seargeant Cuff, of the new detective force, and an extraordinary sequence of events will unfold before the truth of what happened that night, and the fate of the jewel, is made clear.The tale is told by a series of narrators, because this is an account of the moonstone compiled some time after the events it describes by an interested party. He brought together family papers and accounts of events that he asked those who were best placed to report, to create a continuous narrative.That device works wonderfully well, controlling what the reader knew without the reader having to feel manipulated, and adding depth to the characters by viewing them through different eyes. Fortunately the narrators are nicely differentiated. I loved Gabriel Betteredge, the indispensable steward to the Verinder family, a man of firm opinions who was nonetheless a model servant, who believed that all of the answers to life’s problems lay in the pages Robinson Crusoe. But I heartily disliked Miss Clack, a pious, sanctimonious cousin, blind to the feelings and concerns of others, but insistent that they must read her tracts. And I was fascinated by Ezra Jennings, a doctor who had been dragged down by his addiction to opium, but who was grateful for the chances he had been given and ready to play his part in uncovering the truth. And there were others; every voice, every character, was utterly believable.Even more interesting than the narrators though were two women, at opposite ends of the social spectrum, who both chose not to speak out. Rosanna Spearman was a servant, and though I had reasons to doubt her, I could see that she was troubled and I feared for her. I nearly dismissed Rachel Verinder, as a spoilt madam, but in time I came to see that I had misjudged and underestimated with her.The atmosphere was everything I could have hoped for, and the settings were wonderfully created. I especially loved the scenes set out on the treacherous ‘Shivering Sands’. And the story twisted and turned, and sprang surprises, very effectively. I remembered that broad sweep of the story from the first time I read ‘The Moonstone’, many years ago, but I had forgotten just how events played out, but even when I remembered it didn’t matter. Wilkie Collins was such a wonderful, clever storyteller that I was captivated, from the first page to an afterword that was absolutely perfect.I loved almost everything, but I do have to say that the story is a little uneven, and that no character is as memorable as Marion Halcombe and Count Fosco in ‘The Women and White.’ But then, few characters are.This is a very different pleasure. maybe a more subtle pleasure. And definitely a rattling good yarn!
    • 5/5
      A compelling and unusual mystery. Slow-paced like all Victorian literature, but that suits its moodiness. Despite the decades of detective fiction since, this book is still clever and unpredictable.
    • 4/5
      I'm not much of a one for mysteries, generally, but everything about this book is so irrepressibly charming and smart that I never wanted to put it down. Collins masterfully disrupts our expectations of what a Victorian novel should be and do.
    • 4/5
      I ended up finishing this novel rather quickly - it's an early detective novel and though it had a bit of a slow start, I did really get drawn into it and at some point just had to go on reading because I wanted to know what happened.In the novel a young girl, Rachel, receives a precious gem known as the Moonstone through an inheritance. The stone is said to be an ancient hindoo religious artifact, looked for by hindoo brahmins who will stop at nothing to retrieve it. While she and her family are still debating what to do with the gem, it gets stolen... After the disappearance a famous detective is called in to try to retrieve it, but he is led astray and the gem remains undiscovered until a year later, when the investigation is restarted and some unexpected findings lead to a startling conclusion.Collins lets several of the main characters in the novel tell separate parts of the story, each person telling the part in which he/she was most involved. I like the way he gives each character a voice of his/her own and uses the stories to tell the different parts and to show different perspectives - at different points in time characters may or may not be aware of specific facts, making it an interesting intrigue to follow. I did feel that in his characterization of the main characters Collins is sometimes a bit over-the-top, but this also added an element of humor, so it wasn't very disturbing.The character of Sergeant Cuff is a bit of a proto-Holmes - an eccentric detective with a love of roses and a tendency to spend long periods musing over the facts, but who also follows concrete clues to get to the truth. Though his investigations lead him to the wrong conclusion, this is not altogether surprising, since the final solution is not what you expected.Though I did have a suspicion of the right perpetrator at some point half way through, it long remained unclear how he could have pulled it off and what happened exactly on the night of the robbery. Collins really keeps you guessing, but brings everything to a nice ending in which everything is explained.
    • 2/5
      Many years of reviews about a great classic detective novel,THE MOONSTONE, prompted me to finally read it via DailyLit.com.Yes, it reveals a decent mystery, but it is cloaked in page after page of boring repetitive tedium which ultimately result in some true suspense in the final pages.It could have been a fine novella if less tedious, with goofy plot twists.Another problem is that one of the main character's Bible is ROBINSON CRUSOE: he quotes from this frequently as a guide with NO mention of slavery. Strangenot to have noticed that Rob was on his way to Africa to be a royal slave trader with no conscience.Two great quotes are what I came away with: "We are all of us more or less unwilling to be brought into the world. And we are all of us right."and"After the lapse of a minute, I roused my manhood and opened the door."These are the true Classics!
    • 4/5
      The one word which comes to mind when I think of this novel is mesmerising. Slow and steady in its pace, the suspense builds almost inperceptibly until it becomes a page turner. I love the technique of using different narrators and I love how my perception of characters underwent shifts as those characters in turn becamse narrators and got to tell their own part of the story. This is a novel of mystery, romance, comedy, drama and tragedy. It's not a novel for a reader who wants instant gratification. Still less is it a novel for a reader whose idea of a good novel is one involving non-stop action. But I found it truly one to savour.
    • 5/5
      What a story! So many twists and turns - wonderful read.
    • 3/5
      An entertaining story by one of the earliest mystery writers.
    • 4/5
      This is the perfect combination of Victorian lit combined with a good mystery. The story is based on a valuable moonstone that was part of the headpiece of a Hindu idol. A British soldier steals it from India and brings it, and its associated curse, back to England. He bequeaths it to his niece on her 18th birthday. After the elaborate birthday dinner, the jewel is stolen. There is a large and diverse cast of characters - which become a large and diverse cast of potential suspects. The book is told through journals written by different characters ranging from an old faithful servant to an evangelical spinster. The personality of the narrators added by not only putting a bit of prejudice on each witness but also created some very good humor. Very fun read!
    • 3/5
      Certainly a classic, but a bit of a chore to get through.
    • 5/5
      The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins was quite possibly one of my first exposures to the world of mystery novels. I can't remember if I read Sherlock Holmes series first of this, but, I distinctly remember being absolutely blown away by The Moonstone upon my first read. And let me tell you - I've read it several times since, and it never fails to amaze me, still! The beauty of the Moonstone lies not only in its ingenious plot, but in its characterization. The author has mapped out the characters so well in this book that you feel akin to them, you feel as if you've known them all your life. Their temperaments, their actions make sense and they are not just used simply to move the plot forward, but to create the illusion that the reader is literally part of the character's world. There are a lot of characters, and it may seem that some characters are in the novel merely to add to its shroud of mystery, however, as the story unfolds you will see that every character in this novel was warranted and needed for the plot to be as interesting as it is. You, as the reader, will make various guesses as to who you think is the "culprit", however, do not be surprised if you find yourself guessing wrong, only to guess again and be proved wrong yet again. The Moonstone is a novel that keeps you guessing till the very end - but leads to an extremely satisfying and sublime ending, tying romance, mystery and drama all together in a nice, neat and pleasant package.
    • 3/5
      I read this back in high school. When you have to read a book assigned to you a lot of times you dislike it automatically. I liked it, much to my surprise, and would read it again to see if I'd enjoy it as an adult.
      Have it on e-book now.
    • 5/5
      Over 100 years old and still a fantastic read!The first "detective novel" which heralded a whole new genre in fiction, long before Sherlock, Poe or even Clouseau.........Defines the term "enduring classic."
    • 4/5
      I could not put this down. It has informed every detective story I have seen or read since. I thought the morphine sequence was exaggerated and then a week later I saw a Masterpiece Theatre story based on another morphine induced memory retrieval.
    • 5/5
      The Moonstone is a well-written, suspenseful mystery that kept my attention throughout the entire story. I loved the characters, especially Gabriel Betteredge, the cantankerous but lovable butler who refers to Robinson Crusoe for insight about life the way some refer to the Bible.
    • 4/5
      I read this before reading The Woman in White...and while the technique of using various narrators to carry the story forward is identical, both the mechanics and the characterisations generally are more deftly drawn in The Moonstone, one of many delights being the character of Sergeant Cuff.
    • 4/5
      As mentioned by others, this is considered the first detective novel. To me, this is a character novel first and foremost. The narrative is told by various participants and eyewitnesses to the disappearance of the diamond. From an aging servant to a spinster activist to a charming bachelor to a lawyer to a great investigator and more, the different viewpoints not only further along the mystery to the point of resolution, Mr. Collins uses them to share pointed commentary on various characteristics found in real-life. It is equal parts amusing, uncomfortable and intriguing.This is actually the second time I read this book. The first time I read it, I focused on the mystery itself. I found myself trying to solve the crime before it was resolved, which is something I never really try to do. As far as mysteries go, while it may be considered the first great detective novel, with crime shows the primary focus on television these days and the proliferation of detective thrillers in general, The Moonstone is quite an easy mystery to solve. The twists and turns which may have kept Mr. Collins' readers on the edge of their seats waiting for the publication of the next installment just do not have the same impact that they do for today's reader. We've already seen them played out in hundreds of mysteries for them to be an effective plot device anymore. This second read found me focusing on everything but the mystery, even though I did not quite remember whodunit. As I mentioned, this is as much a character novel as it is a mystery. As a character piece, this book is one of the best I've ever read. The lovable, aging but extremely loyal servant, Gabriel Betteredge, on the surface appears to be nothing but a grandfatherly type, until he starts talking about his wife and women in general, why they are the inferior sex. He talks quite bluntly about treating pretty house servants differently, patting their cheek and other rather sexist behaviors towards women. Yes, he is lovable but his opinion on women is definitely a failing.Miss Clack is another narrator who is not quite as innocent as she professes on the page. Espousing Christian virtues, Miss Clack exhibits some of the most un-Christian behavior in the book. Comparing her actions with those of the mysterious but extremely devout Hindu servants, Mr. Collins is so subtly hinting at the fact that Christianity may not be the only, or best, religion.In fact, the charm of this story is the fact that Mr. Collins suggests that English imperialism has a lasting impact on both countries and not for the better. Given the fact that the Moonstone used to be part of a Hindu idol, the suggestion as to the rightful heirs of the diamond could be debated forever. It is an interesting foreshadowing to the imperialism debate when imperialism did not truly become popular until after The Moonstone was published. To say that Mr. Collins was ahead of his time with social commentary and with detective novels is definitely an understatement! In parting, this is such an enjoyable book. From a historical perspective, this is a great way to go back to the beginning origins of the detective mystery and discover just how many of our popular, beloved detectives got their start from Sergeant Cuff. As I mentioned, the social commentary, while subtle, is definitely worth discovering. I have thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Wilkie Collins!
    • 5/5
      This is the most exciting book I've read in ages - I devoured it in 3 days and resented anything that interrupted me (work, meals etc)
    • 4/5
      19th century epistolary novel about the theft and subsequent search of a alleged cursed diamond. The story and its mystery is very engaging, but, like most serialized novels, it is very long and has numerous side-tracks and false starts.
    • 5/5
      My first Arion Press "experience" and I'm really enjoying it -- the story itself, the feel of the book in my hands, the paper's texture, the crisp letterpress, the illustrations.
    • 4/5
      A classic whodunnit told from multiple points of view. Engaging characters, a touch of humor, and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. A goodread.
    • 5/5
      Espionage, murder, romance and humour; this novel has them all.Considered by many to be the inaugural detective novel, Wilkie Collins' nineteenth century novel 'The Moonstone' is a classic.What's it about?A precious gem is stolen, a curse follows the thief and three Hindus sacrifice their caste to retrieve it.This brief précis gives the novel a certain exoticism, and it's true that India bookends the story, but really it's a whodunnit set in a country house. The main action focuses on a period of about a year and a half during which the sought-after diamond is stolen - again - from a Miss Rachel Verinder, mere hours after she receives it.From this point, puzzles abound. Who stole it? Why won't Miss Rachel support the police investigation? What have the three Indians who were hanging around the house got to do with the theft?Some of the answers initially seem obvious, but as the story develops there are several strange twists and turns that place the initial events in a very different light.What's it like?A little slow and repetitive in places due to the narrative structure, but there's no shortage of surprises and puzzles to keep readers intrigued, including an excellent twist half-way through.The novel is carefully constructed from "documents", most of which are eyewitness statements commissioned by one of the key characters in the tale. Just like Collins' most famous work, 'The Woman in White', the central conceit is that each section is written by a character who is limited to telling you what they did, thought, saw and suspected at the point in the story they are writing about. This necessarily creates a little repetition at times but the narrowness of each character's vision is what contributes so effectively to the suspense.Furthermore, some repetition is deliberate and quite helpful to the reader. Since the novel was originally serialised in Dickens' magazine 'All the Year Round' between January and August 1868, contemporary readers would have appreciated judiciously timed reminders of events which had happened in previous instalments. Reading this on an ereader meant I found it difficult to toggle between sections and so found the discreet recaps equally useful!So has it stood the test of time?Definitely; the aristocratic characters may have fewer real-life counterparts today, but the emotional heart of the novel rings as true as ever.To fully appreciate this, you need to enjoy reading a lot of dialogue and accept a slow pace to the development of the mystery. The formal structure Collins adopts means the novel consists mostly of dialogue as characters explain all the key incidents to each other. This does create a certain distance and reduces the dramatic impact but is essential to create the suspense: if we had (for instance) Rosanna Spearman's account of events from Rosanna Spearman's own mouth, instead of recounted second-hand and then by letter, this would be a much shorter and far less puzzling story. Besides which, much of the enjoyment is found in the characterisation and the narrative approaches.The narrators have very distinct voices and I particularly enjoyed the first two significant voices: Gabriel Betteredge and Miss Clack. Betteredge's narrative initially consists of a series of digressions followed by assurances of future progression of the mystery, but he's also sharply, wonderfully opinionated:"Rosana Spearman had been a thief, and not being of the sort that get up Companies in the City, and rob from thousands, instead of only robbing from one, the law laid hold of her"."I have myself (in spite of the bishops and the clergy) an unfeigned respect for the church""I can't affirm that he was on the watch for his brother officer's speedy appearance in the character of an ass - I can only say that I strongly suspected it.""I am (thank God) constitutionally superior to reason."If you find the above quotations from Betteredge amusing then you'll likely find this a rewarding read, and by the time Betteredge retires from his position as narrator you'll be suitably hooked by the mystery to keep reading.The next narrator, Miss Clack, is horribly evangelical with no empathy at all, but once her hypocrisy is unveiled she is equally enjoyable in her own way, and I quickly adapted to each new speaker and their quirks.Final thoughtsI enjoyed reading this and was suitably perplexed by the central mystery. I found the various twists and turns interesting, though you do have to be prepared to suspend disbelief about a few key points.
    • 4/5
      Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but don't ask Rachel Verinder to agree with that maxim. She only had twelve hours to bask in the glow of the rare yellow diamond that was given to her on her 18th birthday. This stolen diamond came complete with an Indian curse and three Indians in hot pursuit of it as it once again disappears and becomes the focal point of this Victorian detective novel.Collins uses multiple narratives to ascertain the events of that fateful night and the year following it. These eye-witness accounts from some colorful characters help move the story along, although having been originally written in serial form, the book tends to be wordy with many needless cliffhangers. My limits of credulity were stretched by the reenactment of the night of the crime, and I became impatient with too many sealed letters that mostly revealed "secrets" that weren't relevant to the main story. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and dry humor more than I liked the story. If you like Victorian melodrama, you will most certainly like this book.
    • 5/5
      What an excellent book. It held me to the last with its different perspectives and the linking character of the inimitable Sergeant Cusk. The only thing I'm wondering is why it's taken my so many decades to come to it.
    • 5/5
      Enjoyed the story coming from the different perspectives of the characters involved. Each took you to a point and then passed on to the next character.
      Took my time and enjoyed the images painted with words by the author. Plan to read more by Wilkie Collins.