Other editions of book The Moonstone

Widely regarded as the precursor of the modern mystery and suspense novels, The Moonstone tells of the events surrounding the disappearance of a mysterious (and cursed) yellow diamond. T. S. Eliot called it 'the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels'. It contains a number of ideas which became common tropes of the genre, including a crime being investigated by talented amateurs who happen to be present when it is committed, and two police officers who exemplify respectively the 'Scotland Yard bungler' and the skilled, professional detective.

Wilkie Collins wrote what T.S. Eliot called the “first and greatest” detective novel ever written, and to this day The Moonstone remains one of the most acclaimed and revered literary works of all time. Those who enjoy the books of modern detective story writers such as Raymond Chandler, Mary Higgins Clark, or even Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might have a few strong expectations from this novel, especially after reading what many great authors have said about it. However, The Moonstone might disappoint in this regard.What it will do, instead, is to present you with the source of inspiration of all those authors through a remarkably intricate and well-written tale of mystery that features some of the most detailed depictions of fascinating characters you will see in any book. Under Wilkie Collins’ careful guidelines and due to his incredible attention to detail, the characters of the story come alive under the curious gaze of the reader. The more you immerse yourself in the narration of characters like the distant Verinder relative, Miss Clack, or Gabriel Betteredge, house steward of the Verinder estate,the easier it will be to become completely familiar not only with the appearance, mannerisms and attitude of each character, but also with the way they think and feel – perceiving the whole range of human emotions filtered through the imaginary minds of realistic personalities Collins animates with such skill and near artistic ability.The plot itself is remarkably engaging, and even though the initial pace can be a little slower and more methodical than what most modern readers are used to, it soon moves along surprisingly fast – not to mention the appeal that some of the intriguing elements of the early plot might have, such as the illusive yellow diamond and its origins.

Wilkie Collins's classic tale of Rachel Verinder, a young Englishwoman who inherits a fabulous diamond (the eponymous Moonstone). The Moonstone has a long and fabled history tracing back to an group of Hindu priests ordered to guard it by Vishnu. After Rachel loses the Moonstone to a thief, calamity and misfortune befall her as the characters seek to solve the crime and recover the gem.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language. The moonstone of the title is a diamond . It gained its name from its association with the Hindu god of the moon. The book is widely regarded as the precursor of the modern mystery and suspense novels. T. S. Eliot called it "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels."

When Rachel Verrinder inherits the Moonstone -- a huge and accursed yellow diamond, a diamond stolen generations ago from an Indian shrine -- from John Herncastle she has no idea what evil waits for her. Herncastle -- a distant relation, and one spitefully alienated from her immediate family -- intended the bequest as a sinister form of revenge. Revenge indeed: Herncastle, we learn, acquired the Moonstone by means of murder and theft, and knew full well that the jewel would bring dreadful luck upon her.

The Moonstone is a huge, yellow diamond that originally adorned the head of a Hindu moon-god’s statue in India. It was removed by Muslim conquerors and then taken through murder and theft by the corrupt Col. John Herncastle in the 1799 British storming of Seringapatam. Some fifty years later, Herncastle, who has been shunned by his family, leaves it as a legacy to his niece, Rachel Verinder. But all during this time, three Brahmin priests and their descendants have continued to follow the diamond in the hopes of returning it to India. For Rachel’s eighteenth birthday party, Herncastle’s nephew, Franklin Blake, is instructed to bring the diamond to Rachel. At the party, besides Rachel and Blake who are in love, are Rachel’s mother, cousins Godfrey Ablewhite and Miss Drusilla Clack, a local doctor Thomas Candy, and a world traveler named Mr. Murthwaite. Three Indian jugglers have also come by offering to perform for the party but are refused. Rachel wears the diamond at her party. However, the next morning it is missing. Several suggestions as to who took it are made--the three Indian jugglers; Rosanna Spearman, a maidservant who begins to act oddly and who then drowns herself in a local quicksand; and even Rachel herself, who also behaves suspiciously and is suddenly furious with Blake when he directs attempts to find it. Sergeant Richard Cuff, a renowned detective from Scotland Yard, is called in, but the mystery remains unsolved and everyone leaves. During the next year there are hints that the diamond was removed from the house and may be in a London bank vault, having been pledged as surety to a moneylender. The Indian jugglers are still nearby, watching and waiting. Who took the diamond? Will it ever be found? And why did Rosanna kill herself? The story is told through narratives by several of the parties involved, including head servant Gabriel Betteredge, Miss Clack, the Verinders’ solicitor Matthew Bruff, and others.

The Moonstone (1868) by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language. The Moonstone and The Woman in White are considered Wilkie Collins' best novels. Besides creating many of the ground rules of the detective novel, The Moonstone also reflected Collins' enlightened social attitudes in his treatment of the servants in the novel. Collins adapted The Moonstone for the stage in 1877, but the production was performed for only two months. The Moonstone of the title is a diamond (not to be confused with the semi-precious moonstone gem). It gained its name from its association with the Hindu god of the moon, Chandra. Originally set in the forehead of a sacred statue of the god at Somnath, it was said to be protected by hereditary guardians on the orders of Vishnu, and to wax and wane in brilliance along with the light of the moon. The book is regarded by some as the precursor of the modern mystery novel and suspense novels. T. S. Eliot called it "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels in a genre invented by Collins and not by Poe", and by Dorothy L. Sayers as "probably the very finest detective story ever written". In the book, Rachel Verinder, a young English woman, inherits a large Indian diamond on her eighteenth birthday. It is a legacy from her uncle, a corrupt British army officer who served in India. She wears the Moonstone on her dress had her birthday party for all to see, including some Indian jugglers who have called at the house. Later that night, the diamond is stolen from Rachel's bedroom, and a period of turmoil, unhappiness, misunderstandings and ill-luck ensues. Told by a series of narratives from some of the main characters, the complex plot traces the subsequent efforts to explain the theft, identify the thief, trace the stone and recover it.