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Intrigue, investigations, thievery, drugs and murder all make an appearance in Collins’s classic who-done-it, The Moonstone. Published in serial form in 1868, it was inspired in part by a spectacular murder case widely reported in the early 1860s. Collins’s story revolves around a diamond stolen from a Hindu holy place. On her eighteenth birthday, Rachel Verinder receives the diamond, but by the following morning the stone has been stolen again. As the story unravels through multiple eyewitness accounts, the elderly Sergeant Cuff—with a face “sharp as a hatchet”—looks for the culprit. One of Collins’s best-loved novels, with an exciting plot moved along by deftly-drawn characters and elegant pacing, The Moonstone was also turned into a play by Collins; the play appears as an appendix to this edition.
The Moonstone is considered one of the earliest and finest examples of detective fiction. Collins' use of multiple narrators and the intricate plot structure set the groundwork for many future mystery novels. The novel features a highly intricate plot involving a stolen diamond, a series of suspects, and unexpected twists and turns. "The Moonstone" explores themes such as greed, betrayal, and the consequences of colonialism. These themes resonate with readers and provide substance beyond the surface mystery. The complexity of the story keeps readers engaged and guessing until the end. It passes through various hands, leaving a trail of mystery, betrayal, and tragedy. The story unfolds through multiple narratives, revealing secrets and motives as it progresses. Detective Cuff's investigation, Rachel Verinder's distress and the sinister schemes of the criminal trio add layers of intrigue. Ultimately, the moonstone's power to corrupt and destroy is unveiled, leaving a profound impact on all involved. Collins masterfully weaves suspense and psychological depth, creating a timeless tale of greed, deception, and the consequences of obsession. It keeps the reader guessing about the culprit and the fate of the gem. Set in the Victorian era, the novel provides a fascinating glimpse into the social customs, class distinctions, and technological advancements of the time. This historical backdrop adds richness to the narrative. It explores themes of colonialism, gender roles, and the corrupting influence of wealth. It remains a timeless classic of detective fiction, beloved for its rich characters, intricate plot, and enduring relevance. The novel provides a fascinating glimpse into the social customs, class distinctions, and technological advancements of the time. Overall, "The Moonstone" continues to captivate readers with its gripping plot, memorable characters, and exploration of timeless themes. Its influence on the detective fiction genre and its enduring popularity makes it a classic of English literature.
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins,Michael Theodorou Pdf
This brilliant Victorian detective story has been skilfully adapted into a fast moving mystery. Exploring superstition, loyalty, fate, the intriguing mix of characters and the deadly Moonstone, the play retains all the excitement of Wilkie Collins' original.
The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins (Unabridged) by Wilkie Collins Pdf
The Moonstone (1868) by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel. It is generally considered to be the first detective novel, and it established many of the ground rules of the modern detective novel. The story was originally serialised in Charles Dickens' magazine All the Year Round. The Moonstone and The Woman in White are widely considered to be Collins' best novels, and Collins adapted The Moonstone for the stage in 1877, although the production was performed for only two months. Plot outline: 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. The diamond is of great religious significance and extremely valuable, and three Hindu priests have dedicated their lives to recovering it. The story incorporates elements of the legendary origins of the Hope Diamond (or perhaps the Orloff Diamond or the Koh-i-Noor diamond). Rachel's eighteenth birthday is celebrated with a large party, at which the guests include her cousin Franklin Blake. She wears the Moonstone on her dress that evening 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.
The Moonstone is one of the most famous suspense novels of all time: a masterpiece of construction and the ultimate page-turner, it introduced one of the world’s most beloved genres, the detective story. At a party celebrating her eighteenth birthday, Rachel Verinder wears the stunning yellow diamond she unexpectedly inherited from her uncle, Colonel John Herncastle. She is not aware that the precious gem, known as the Moonstone, has been missing since it was plundered from a sacred Hindu shrine in southern India where her uncle had served with the British army fifty years ago. But someone knows the secret of the Moonstone and will go to desperate measures to retrieve it. When it goes missing later that night, suspicions are raised and accusations fly. Could it be a trio of mysterious Indian jugglers seen near the house? Or a love-struck housemaid suddenly behaving strangely? And there is Rachel herself, who becomes furious when her paramour, Franklin Blake, directs attempts to find it. As divergent accounts reveal more details, the diamond’s recovery is complicated by unexpected twists and turns. Sifting through a compelling list of suspects, the indomitable Sergeant Cuff must find the truth about the Moonstone and its mysterious disappearance. The Moonstone features 66 black and-white woodcut illustrations throughout.
'The first detective novel in the English language' The Moonstone A Romance by Wilkie Collins The Moonstone (1868) by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language. The story was originally serialised in Charles Dickens' magazine All the Year Round. 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. Colonel Herncastle, an unpleasant former soldier, brings the Moonstone back with him from India where he acquired it by theft and murder during the Siege of Seringapatam. Angry at his family, who shun him, he leaves it in his will as a birthday gift to his niece Rachel, thus exposing her to attack by the stone's hereditary guardians, who, legend says, will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Rachel wears the stone to her birthday party, but that night it disappears from her room. Suspicion falls on three Indian jugglers who have been near the house; on Rosanna Spearman, a maidservant who begins to act oddly and who then drowns herself in a local quicksand; and on Rachel herself, who also behaves suspiciously and is suddenly furious with Franklin Blake, with whom she has previously appeared to be enamoured, when he directs attempts to find it. Despite the efforts of Sergeant Cuff, a renowned detective, the house party ends with the mystery unsolved, and the protagonists disperse. During the ensuing 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. Rachel's grief and isolation increase, especially after her mother dies, and she first accepts and then rejects a marriage proposal from her cousin Godfrey Ablewhite, a philanthropist who was also present at the birthday dinner and whose father owns the bank near Rachel's old family home. Finally Franklin Blake returns from travelling abroad and determines to solve the mystery. He first discovers that Rosanna Spearman's behaviour was due to her having fallen in love with himself. She found evidence (a paint smear on his nightclothes) that convinced her that he was the thief and concealed it to save him, confusing the trail of evidence and throwing suspicion on herself. In despair at her inability to make him acknowledge her despite all she had done for him, she committed suicide, leaving behind the smeared gown and a letter he did not receive at the time because of his hasty departure abroad.
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century detective novel. A young woman inherits a large diamond on her eighteenth birthday, the diamond is however stolen and the mystery begins.
The moonstone is a yellow diamond of unearthly beauty brought from India and given to Rachel Verrinder as an eighteenth birthday present, but the fabled diamond carries with it a terrible curse.
Described by T.S. Eliot as "the first, the longest and the best of modern English detective novels," Wilkie Collins's classic The Moonstone is also an important precursor of the modern mystery and suspense genres. When Rachel Verinder's legacy of a priceless Indian diamond is stolen, all the evidence indicates that it is her beloved, Franklin Blake, who is guilty. Around this central axis of a crime and a thwarted love, Collins constructs an ingenious plot of teasing twists and surprises, and an elaborate multi-voiced narrative that never flags in human interest. A huge hit when first published and ever since, The Moonstone keeps the reader guessing until the end, and together with The Woman in White places Collins among the greatest storytellers in the English language.
William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 - 23 September 1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and short story writer. His best-known works are The Woman in White (1859), No Name (1862), Armadale (1866) and The Moonstone (1868). The last is considered the first modern English detective novel.Born into the family of painter William Collins in London, he lived with his family in Italy and France as a child and learned French and Italian. He worked as a clerk for a tea merchant. After his first novel, Antonina, was published in 1850, he met Charles Dickens, who became a close friend, mentor and collaborator. Some of Collins's works were first published in Dickens' journals All the Year Round and Household Words and the two collaborated on drama and fiction.
