The Moonstone

Wilkie Collins

• Publisher: Caelwick Press
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9786422971258
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

The "Moonstone" of the title is a large but flawed diamond, looted from India at the time of the Mutiny by an unscrupulous British officer. Many years later, estranged from his family due to his licentious lifestyle, the officer bequeaths the diamond to his sister's daughter, Rachel Verrinder, to be given to her on her 18th birthday. Due to the ill-omens surrounding the gem, this may have been an act of revenge rather than reconciliation. The diamond, it appears, was taken from a statue of the Moon God worshipped by a Hindu cult, and it has long been sought by a group of Brahmins determined to return it to their temple. On the night of the birthday party the gem mysteriously disappears from Rachel's room. While the first suspicions naturally fall on these Indians, they are eventually exculpated. Rachel becomes hysterical and angry when questioned about the theft and refuses to assist the police. Active efforts to assist them are taken up by Rachel's cousin (and sweetheart) Franklin Blake. These efforts simply drive Rachel into further fury, and she becomes completely estranged from him. Suspicion thus falls on her as having some secret reason for wishing to raise money on the diamond. The novel proceeds to slowly uncover the mysteries involved. Published in 1868, The Moonstone is often considered as one of the precursors of the modern detective novel, though this is a label which would not have been used by its author Wilkie Collins and his contemporaries. While it is true that the plot revolves around the mystery of a theft, and that it features Sergeant Cuff "in the Detective Force of Scotland Yard," the novel is much more about character and relationships than the mere revelation of secrets. It also has a good dose of Collins' humour, as the story is told in large part by eccentric characters such as the old house-steward Gabriel Betteredge who regards Robinson Crusoe as an oracle; and the ultra-religious Miss Clack, determined to convert everyone to her views. Immensely popular at the time of its publication in serial form, The Moonstone is rightly considered to be one of Collins' best works, and remains highly regarded today.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Chapitre 1
• Chapitre 2
• Chapitre 3
• Chapitre 4
• Chapitre 5
• Chapitre 6
• Chapitre 7
• Chapitre 8
• Chapitre 9
• Chapitre 10
• Chapitre 11
• Chapitre 12
• Chapitre 13
• Chapitre 14
• Chapitre 15
• Chapitre 16
• Chapitre 17
• Chapitre 18
• Chapitre 19
• Chapitre 20
• Chapitre 21
• Chapitre 22
• Chapitre 23
• Chapitre 24
• Chapitre 25
• Chapitre 26
• Chapitre 27
• Chapitre 28
• Chapitre 29
• Chapitre 30
• Chapitre 31
• Chapitre 32
• Chapitre 33
• Chapitre 34
• Chapitre 35
• Chapitre 36
• Chapitre 37
• Chapitre 38
• Chapitre 39
• Chapitre 40
• Chapitre 41
• Chapitre 42
• Chapitre 43
• Chapitre 44
• Chapitre 45
• Chapitre 46
• Chapitre 47
• Chapitre 48
• Fourth Narrative
• Fifth Narrative
• Chapitre 51
• Chapitre 52
• Chapitre 53
• Chapitre 54
• Chapitre 55
• Seventh Narrative
• Eighth Narrative
• The Statement of SERGEANT CLIFF’S MAN (1849)
• The Statement of THE CAPTAIN (1849)
• The Statement of MR. MURTHWAITE (1850)