The Moonstone (1868) by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language. Insert non-formatted text hereMoonstone may refer to: go dawgs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #1 #1 #1 #1 #1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Moonstone, a type of gemstone (see orthoclase) The Moonstone, a novel by Wilkie Collins Moonstone Books, a publisher of graphic novels and comic books. ... Image File history File links WilkieCollins_TheMoonstone. ... Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Titlepage of Aphra Behns Love-Letters (1684) An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. ... Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centres upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Darnall ward is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories. ... For the periodical, see Nineteenth Century (periodical). ... Titlepage of Aphra Behns Love-Letters (1684) An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. ... Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centres upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Overview

The Moonstone was originally serialized in Charles Dickens's magazine All the Year Round. “Dickens” redirects here. ... All the Year Round was a weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens which was published between 1859 and 1859. ...

Plot summary

The story concerns a young woman called Rachel Verinder who inherits a large Indian diamond, the Moonstone, on her eighteenth birthday. It is a legacy from her uncle, a corrupt English colonial army officer. The diamond is of great religious significance as well as being enormously valuable, and three Indian Hindus have dedicated their lives to recovering it. The story incorporates elements of the legendary origins of the Hope Diamond (or perhaps the Orloff). This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Hope diamond Weight 45. ... Sketch of the Orloff diamond from the book Precious Stones by Max Bauer, published in 1904. ...

Rachel's eighteenth birthday is celebrated with a large party, whose guests include her impecunious beau Franklin Blake. She wears the Moonstone on her dress that evening for all to see, including some Indian jugglers who happen to call on the house. Later that night, the diamond is stolen from Rachel's bedroom.

Rachel rejects the attentions of Franklin Blake and leaves in an emotional turmoil for London. She refuses to allow the police to question her or search her possessions raising suspicions. No one can figure out how the stone is stolen since no one was in her room. The Hindu jugglers are taken into custody but no stone is found. The young housemaid, Rosanne, who also happens to be in love with Franklin Blake, also acts suspiciously and then commits suicide by throwing herself into quicksand.

Characters

• Rachel Verinder – heiress and inheritor of the large Indian diamond known as "The Moonstone"
• Franklin Blake – Rachel Verinder's cousin and suitor
• Godfrey Ablewhite – philanthropist, also Rachel Verinder's cousin and hopeful suitor
• Gabriel Betteredge – the head servant, first narrator
• Rosanna Spearman – second housemaid, ex-thief, suspicious and tragic character
• Drusilla Clack – cousin to Rachel Verinder, second narrator, a self-righteous, religious tract-dispensing lady
• Mr. Bruff – family attorney, third narrator
• Sergeant Cuff – famous detective with a penchant for roses
• Dr. Candy – the family physician
• Ezra Jennings – Dr. Candy's unpopular and odd looking assistant, suffers from cancer and uses opium to control the pain
• the three Hindu jugglers – also referred to in the novel as "Hindoo"s

A tract, is a literary work, and in current usage, usually religious in nature. ...

Literary significance & criticism

The book is widely regarded as the precursor of the modern mystery and suspense novels. T. S. Eliot called it "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels". It contains a number of ideas which became common tropes of the genre: a large number of suspects, red herrings, a crime being investigated by talented amateurs who happen to be present when it is committed, and two police officers who exemplify respectively the 'local bungler' and the skilled, professional, Scotland Yard detective. Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centres upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ... Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965), was a poet, dramatist and literary critic. ... Look up red herring in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Moonstone represents Collins's only complete reprisal of the popular "multi-narration" method, he had previously utilised to great effect in The Woman in White. The technique again works to Collins's credit: the sections by Gabriel Betteredge (steward to the Verinder household) and Miss Clack (a poor relative and religious crank) offer both humour and pathos through their contrast with the testimony of other narrators, at the same time as constructing and advancing the novel's plot. The Woman in White is an epistolary novel written by Wilkie Collins and published in 1859. ...

One of the things that made The Moonstone such a success was its sensationalist depiction of opium addiction. Unbeknownst to his readership, Collins was writing from personal experience. In his later years, Collins grew severely addicted to laudanum and as a result suffered from paranoid delusions, the most notable being his conviction that he was constantly accompanied by a doppelganger he dubbed "Ghost Wilkie". This article does not adequately cite its references. ... Laudanum is an opium tincture, sometimes sweetened with sugar and also called wine of opium. ... The syndrome of subjective doubles is a rare delusional misidentification syndrome in which someone suffers from the delusion that he has a double or doppelgänger with the same appearance, usually with different character traits and leading a life of his own. ...

It was Collins's last great success, coming at the end of an extraordinarily productive period which saw four successive novels become best-sellers. After The Moonstone he wrote novels containing more overt social commentary, which did not achieve the same audience.

Examined nowadays from a post-colonial viewpoint, The Moonstone's portrayal of three mysterious Indians who play an integral role in its plot seems unusually positive for a book of its time.

Film, TV, or theatrical adaptations

In 1934, the book was made into a critically acclaimed motion picture by Monogram Pictures Corporation. Adapted to the screen by Adele S. Buffington, the film was directed by Reginald Barker and starred David Manners, Charles Irwin, and Phyllis Barry. The New York Times said of it: "The Moonstone is a prime example of what can be accomplished on a small budget with a little extra time and care." See also: 1933 in film 1934 1935 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn (of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) finally purchased the film rights to The Wizard of Oz from Frank J. Baum for $40,000. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... Dillinger was a Monogram release in 1945. ... Reginald Barker (April 2, 1886 - February 23, 1945) was a pioneer film director. ... David Manners as Jonathan Harker in Dracula (1931). ... Photo submitted by John Corcoran Charles Irwin (VC),- born Manorhamilton County Leitrim 1824 was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

In 1972, it was remade again in the United Kingdom and aired on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre. // Top grossing films The Godfather Fiddler on the Roof Diamonds Are Forever Whats Up, Doc?, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan ONeal Dirty Harry The Last Picture Show A Clockwork Orange Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli The Hospital Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex Academy Awards Best Picture... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... Masterpiece Theatre is a long-running anthology television series produced by WGBH which premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. ...

In 1996, it was remade a third time, also in the United Kingdom, for television by the BBC and Carlton Television in partnership with U.S. station WGBH of Boston, Massachusetts, airing on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre. It starred Greg Wise as Franklin Blake and Keeley Hawes as Rachel Verinder. The year 1996 in film involved some significant events. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Carlton Television is the United Kingdom Channel 3 (ITV) licensee for London and the surrounding areas from 9:25am every Monday to 5. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled WGBH-TV, WGBH (FM) and WGBX-TV, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area  - City  89. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... Masterpiece Theatre is a long-running anthology television series produced by WGBH which premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. ... Greg Wise (born on 15 May 1966 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England) is a British actor. ... Keeley Hawes (born 1 January 1977 in London) is an English actress, best known for her role as Zoe Reynolds in the BBC One drama series Spooks (2002-2004). ...

DVD release

The 1972 version of The Moonstone with Robin Ellis is available on DVD in the UK.

External links

• The Moonstone, available at Project Gutenberg.