Synopsis:
The theft of a rare diamond from India throws an upper class family and their servants into disarray and suspicion.
Review:
Published in 1868 and taking place from 1847-48, The Moonstone is one of my selections for the Winter Classics Challenge and the Chunkster Challenge. I knew that it was the first novel to introduce the classic British detective character, but I was not prepared for how funny and satirical the book would be. Collins structures the book around a series of first-person narratives from various characters, and each one has a separate, distinct voice that shows them in all their idiosyncratic glory. They are so true to themselves that they are not aware that we could be laughing at their foolishness, particularly the odiously pious Miss Clack. Continue reading
