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 11th 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 18th 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.
