Wilkie Collins: The Moonstone

[David181173]

---This message does not contain any plot spoilers as far as I can tell---

I've just finished Wilkie Collin's nineteenth century classic, "The Moonstone", one of the earliest detective novels. Having done so I find myself not quite as enthusiastic about it as T. S. Eliot was.

It works well as a whodunnit, although it turned out that my strong suspicions were right, suggesting that it lacks quite as many unexpected twists as we have now come to expect from a mystery - if that's not a contradiction!

It also has some fine humour. The character of Miss Clack is a wonderful send-up of the overly self-righteous, over-earnest Victorian Christian, and there is witty passage concerning the faithful servant Betteredge and some home furnishings, not least the stuffed buzzard.

On the other hand, it took me quite a while to get through. I couldn't help thinking that a modern editor would have cut it back a bit. I was also a little unconvinced by the particular way in which the multi-narrator device was employed. The various writers came across as far too conversational to seem convincing, given that what we were supposedly reading were their written statements.

I would say it is definitely worth reading, if for no other reason than its being part of the canon, but I don't think I'll be rushing to read it a second time. What do others think?

 

[Ashlea]

I've always been curious, but Victorian novels are so daunting. Perhaps I'll pick it up.

 

[corrigan]

I loved it! And Ashlea, don't worry about it being daunting. It's quite readable. In any case it's touted as being the first detective novel. Enjoy.

 

[David181173]

Hope I wasn't too discouraging. As I said, definitely worth reading once, though in my view Conan Doyle took detective literature to another level with Sherlock Holmes a few decades later.

 

[corrigan]

I agree, Sherlock Holmes is the far more developed character. But then Doyle created a much larger body of work. Here is why it is considered the first; quoted from the introduction by Heilbrun. "Certain it is that Sergeant Cuff, on his appearance almost a century and a half ago, established the qualifications and quirky habits to be followed by fictional detectives to this very day." She goes on to say, "[Wilkie Collins] had ordained that a detective must be highly intelligent and perceptive, eccentric, honorable, solitary by nature, and indifferent to criticism..." Even TV follows these guidelines, look at Monk.

Do you have any other recommendations? I'm always on the look out for "literate trash."

 

[Ashlea]

Hmm, literate trash. Try Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

My 19th century lit teacher made us read this serially, chapter or so per week, as it was originally published. Drove me crazy, I finally read the rest about 2/3rds in, and had to pretend like I didn't know how it ended.

Need to re-read Sherlock Holmes again.

Ever read the short stories by Saki? Don't exactly fall into this category, very silly and satirical and they all happen at Victorian house parties, and great fun.

 

[Aiel]

It works well as a whodunnit, although it turned out that my strong suspicions were right, suggesting that it lacks quite as many unexpected twists as we have now come to expect from a mystery - if that's not a contradiction!

The likes of Hercules Poirot, Jane Marple , Ellery Queen, Perry Mason have put us in the habbit of expecting weird twists and turns at every stage, and infront of these glamrous works, the rather docile Victorian Whodunnit seem pretty lagging.

Wilkie Collins was a good author but I have always found Chesterton's 'Father Brown' series to be much better mainly because most of it is based upon common sense, and use of it thereof.
Guess we just have to read the Ninteenth and Early Tweentieth century whodunnits and spy novels for their own sake because comparing them to the works of today would only result in demaning their savour.

 

[David181173]

Originally posted by corrigan
Do you have any other recommendations? I'm always on the look out for "literate trash."

If you mean best sellers with no pretention to literary greatness but a tendency to appeal to educated readers, try Robert Goddard. I've been impressed by his thrillers. "In Pale Battalions" is probably my favourite. That's one of his earlier ones. He gets even more populist with time, perhaps under direction from his editors?