The Moonstone.

By:

Collins, Wilkie

Material type: Text

text

Media type:

computer

Carrier type:

online resource

ISBN:

9781480484160

Genre/Form:

Electronic books.

Additional physical formats: Print version:: The MoonstoneOnline resources:

Click to View

Contents:

Intro -- Cover -- Title Page -- Contents -- PROLOGUE -- THE STORY -- FIRST PERIOD -- CHAPTER I -- CHAPTER II -- CHAPTER III -- CHAPTER IV -- CHAPTER V -- CHAPTER VI -- CHAPTER VII -- CHAPTER VIII -- CHAPTER IX -- CHAPTER X -- CHAPTER XI -- CHAPTER XII -- CHAPTER XIII -- CHAPTER XIV -- CHAPTER XV -- CHAPTER XVI -- CHAPTER XVII -- CHAPTER XVIII -- CHAPTER XIX -- CHAPTER XX -- CHAPTER XXI -- CHAPTER XXII -- CHAPTER XXIII -- SECOND PERIOD -- FIRST NARRATIVE -- CHAPTER I -- CHAPTER II -- CHAPTER III -- CHAPTER IV -- CHAPTER V -- CHAPTER VI -- CHAPTER VII -- CHAPTER VIII -- SECOND NARRATIVE -- CHAPTER I -- CHAPTER II -- CHAPTER III -- THIRD NARRATIVE -- CHAPTER I -- CHAPTER II -- CHAPTER III -- CHAPTER IV -- CHAPTER V -- CHAPTER VI -- CHAPTER VII -- CHAPTER VIII -- CHAPTER IX -- CHAPTER X -- FOURTH NARRATIVE -- FIFTH NARRATIVE -- CHAPTER I -- SIXTH NARRATIVE -- CHAPTER I -- CHAPTER II -- CHAPTER III -- CHAPTER IV -- CHAPTER V -- SEVENTH NARRATIVE -- EIGHTH NARRATIVE -- EPILOGUE -- CHAPTER I -- CHAPTER II -- CHAPTER III -- Copyright.

Summary: The novel that T. S. Eliot called "the first, the longest, and the best of the modern English detective novels" Guarded by three Brahmin priests, the Moonstone is a religious relic, the centerpiece in a sacred statue of the Hindu god of the moon. It is also a giant yellow diamond of enormous value, and its temptation is irresistible to the corrupt John Herncastle, a colonel in the British Army in India. After murdering the three guardian priests and bringing the diamond back to England with him, Herncastle bequeaths it to his niece, Rachel, knowing full well that danger will follow. True to its enigmatic nature, the Moonstone disappears from Rachel's room on the night of her eighteenth birthday, igniting a mystery so intricate and thrilling it has set the standard for every crime novel of the past one hundred fifty years. Widely recognized, alongside the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, as establishing many of the most enduring conventions of detective fiction, The Moonstone is Wilkie Collins's masterwork and one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Fiction notes: Click to open in new window

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Status	Barcode
Ebrary Online Books	Colombo	Available	CBEBK600054
Ebrary Online Books	Jaffna	Available	JFEBK600054
Ebrary Online Books	Kandy	Available	KDEBK600054

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The novel that T. S. Eliot called "the first, the longest, and the best of the modern English detective novels"

Guarded by three Brahmin priests, the Moonstone is a religious relic, the centerpiece in a sacred statue of the Hindu god of the moon. It is also a giant yellow diamond of enormous value, and its temptation is irresistible to the corrupt John Herncastle, a colonel in the British Army in India. After murdering the three guardian priests and bringing the diamond back to England with him, Herncastle bequeaths it to his niece, Rachel, knowing full well that danger will follow. True to its enigmatic nature, the Moonstone disappears from Rachel's room on the night of her eighteenth birthday, igniting a mystery so intricate and thrilling it has set the standard for every crime novel of the past one hundred fifty years.

Widely recognized, alongside the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, as establishing many of the most enduring conventions of detective fiction,nbsp; The Moonstonenbsp; is Wilkie Collins's masterwork and one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.

This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

The novel that T. S. Eliot called "the first, the longest, and the best of the modern English detective novels" Guarded by three Brahmin priests, the Moonstone is a religious relic, the centerpiece in a sacred statue of the Hindu god of the moon. It is also a giant yellow diamond of enormous value, and its temptation is irresistible to the corrupt John Herncastle, a colonel in the British Army in India. After murdering the three guardian priests and bringing the diamond back to England with him, Herncastle bequeaths it to his niece, Rachel, knowing full well that danger will follow. True to its enigmatic nature, the Moonstone disappears from Rachel's room on the night of her eighteenth birthday, igniting a mystery so intricate and thrilling it has set the standard for every crime novel of the past one hundred fifty years. Widely recognized, alongside the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, as establishing many of the most enduring conventions of detective fiction, The Moonstone is Wilkie Collins's masterwork and one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Collins: THE MOONSTONE First Period the loss of the diamond (1848) The Events related by Gabriel Betteredge, House-Steward in the service of Julia, Lady Verinder Chapter I In the first part of Robinson Crusoe, at page one hundred and twenty-nine, you will find it thus written: "Now I saw, though too late, the Folly of beginning a Work before we count the Cost, and before we judge rightly of our own Strength to go through with it." Only yesterday, I opened my Robinson Crusoe at that place. Only this morning (May twenty-first, Eighteen hundred and fifty), came my lady's nephew, Mr. Franklin Blake, and held a short conversation with me, as follows:-- "Betteredge," says Mr. Franklin, "I have been to the lawyer's about some family matters; and, among other things, we have been talking of the loss of the Indian Diamond, in my aunt's house in Yorkshire, two years since. Mr. Bruff thinks, as I think, that the whole story ought, in the interests of truth, to be placed on record in writing--and the sooner the better." Not perceiving his drift yet, and thinking it always desirable for the sake of peace and quietness to be on the lawyer's side, I said I thought so too. Mr. Franklin went on. "In this matter of the Diamond," he said, "the characters of innocent people have suffered under suspicion already--as you know. The memories of innocent people may suffer, hereafter, for want of a record of the facts to which those who come after us can appeal. There can be no doubt that this strange family story of ours ought to be told. And I think, Betteredge, Mr. Bruff and I together have hit on the right way of telling it." Very satisfactory to both of them, no doubt. But I failed to see what I myself had to do with it, so far. "We have certain events to relate," Mr. Franklin proceeded; "and we have certain persons concerned in those events who are capable of relating them. Starting from these plain facts, the idea is that we should all write the story of the Moonstone in turn--as far as our own personal experience extends, and no farther. We must begin by showing how the Diamond first fell into the hands of my uncle Herncastle, when he was serving in India fifty years since. This prefatory narrative I have already got by me in the form of an old family paper, which relates the necessary particulars on the authority of an eye-witness. The next thing to do is to tell how the Diamond found its way into my aunt's house in Yorkshire, two years ago, and how it came to be lost in little more than twelve hours afterwards. Nobody knows as much as you do, Betteredge, about what went on in the house at that time. So you must take the pen in hand, and start the story." In those terms I was informed of what my personal concern was with the matter of the Diamond. If you are curious to know what course I took under the circumstances, I beg to inform you that I did what you would probably have done in my place. I modestly declared myself to be quite unequal to the task imposed upon me--and I privately felt, all the time, that I was quite clever enough to perform it, if I only gave my own abilities a fair chance. Mr. Franklin, I imagine, must have seen my private sentiments in my face. He declined to believe in my modesty; and he insisted on giving my abilities a fair chance. Two hours have passed since Mr. Franklin left me. As soon as his back was turned, I went to my writing-desk to start the story. There I have sat helpless (in spite of my abilities) ever since; seeing what Robinson Crusoe saw, as quoted above--namely, the folly of beginning a work before we count the cost, and before we judge rightly of our own strength to go through with it. Please to remember, I opened the book by accident, at that bit, only the day before I rashly undertook the business now in hand; and, allow me to ask--if that isn't prophecy, what is? I am not superstitious; I have read a heap of books in my time; I am a scholar in my own way. Though turned seventy, I possess an active memory, and legs to correspond. You are not to take it, if you please, as the saying of an ignorant man, when I express my opinion that such a book as Robinson Crusoe never was written, and never will be written again. I have tried that book for years--generally in combination with a pipe of tobacco--and I have found it my friend in need in all the necessities of this mortal life. When my spirits are bad--Robinson Crusoe. When I want advice--Robinson Crusoe. In past times, when my wife plagued me; in present times, when I have had a drop too much--Robinson Crusoe. I have worn out six stout Robinson Crusoes with hard work in my service. On my lady's last birthday she gave me a seventh. I took a drop too much on the strength of it; and Robinson Crusoe put me right again. Price four shillings and sixpence, bound in blue, with a picture into the bargain. Still, this don't look much like starting the story of the Diamond--does it? I seem to be wandering off in search of Lord knows what, Lord knows where. We will take a new sheet of paper, if you please, and begin over again, with my best respects to you. Excerpted from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Though often called the first English detective novel, The Moonstone is more accurately described as a classic Victorian romance/adventure novel with detective insertions. When a valuable Indian diamond with a horrid history disappears from an English country home, Inspector Cuff of Scotland Yard is called in to investigate. The details of the story are revealed in a series of separate (and to a modern reader, long-winded) witness accounts written by individuals of varying classes and viewpoints, ending with the now customary, but then new, deductive summing up. While Ronald Pickup and his supporting cast should be commended for a clear, polished, and professional reading, given the length and wordiness of the book, a slightly faster pace would probably be appreciated by modern listeners. VERDICT Recommended for any reader who enjoys Victorian novels or individuals interested in early mystery novels. I. Pour-El, Ames Jewish Congregation, IA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.

Other editions of this work

Other editions
No cover image available	The Moonstone by Collins Wilkie ©2008