The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins

Book:      The Moonstone

Author:    Wilkie Collins

Country:   UK

Language: English

Genre:       Epistolary Novel, Mystery Novel

Publisher: Tinsley Brothers

Publication Date: 1868

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins was originally serialized in Charles Dickens magazine “All the Year Round”. T.S. Eliot called it “The first, the longest and the best of modern English detective novel in a genre invented by Collins and not by Poe.” (Source – Wikipedia)

I was first intimidated by the length of the novel. But it soon turned out to be an engaging read and the lengthiness did not intimidate me any longer. The story revolves around the Moonstone. In the prologue, Collins tells about the Moonstone. The moonstone, a yellow diamond decorated the idol of Moon God in a temple at Somnath, in the 11^th century AD. By the raids of Mohammadeans and later by the British, the moonstone finally gets into the hands of John Herncastle, a British soldier in India. In the aftermath of the storming of Seringapatam, John Herncastle kills three Indian soldiers guarding the moonstone and steals it. When Herncastle leaves to England, he takes the moonstone with him. It is said that the Moonstone was guarded by three Brahmins for many centuries and that a curse would befall on anyone who steals it. John Herncastle is shunned by his family members (may be the curse of the Moonstone) and lives a lonely life. On his deathbed, he leaves a will, which tells that the moonstone should be given as a birthday present to his nephew, Rachel Verinder on her 18^th birthday. Franklin Blake, a cousin of Rachel Verinder is the one to deliver the moonstone. Franklin who had heard about the story of moonstone suspects whether his uncle Herncastle had prepared such a will in order to take revenge on his sister and her family. His suspicion increases when he finds Indians following him to England. Nevertheless he delivers the Moonstone to Rachel Verinder on her birthday. Rachel wears the moonstone on her birthday party. Next day the moonstone is found missing. The local police and England’s best detective Sergeant Cuff are called in to investigate.

The story is actually narrated by many different characters who were present at the time, the moonstone went missing. This is interesting as it gives some depth to the characters. My favorite narrator is Gabriel Betteredge, the loyal Steward of Verinder family, whose Bible is Robinson Crusoe.  Each narrative aids in unravelling the mystery. There are many twists and turns before the thief and the moonstone is finally unveiled.

Having enjoyed the moonstone, I look forward to read ‘The woman in white’, which is considered to be the Collins best novel.