Response to the Moonstone

Hannah Martinez

Kristen Hague

English Literature

12 October 2012

Bog #3-Moonstone

            As English majors we are used to being assigned many different types of reading. Sometimes they are fun and interesting and then there are ones that just aren’t our cup of tea. With the majority of all my English and literature classes behind me, I have completed my fair share of reading assignments at CMU, however I must say that our reading assignment of the Moonstone written by Wilkie Collins is by far, one of my favorites! This was one of those novels you could not put down and you can’t wait to see what the outcome of the ending is going to be (at least for me J).

            In the event of this not completely sounding like a book report, I truly enjoyed and appreciated this novel. Collins writes in a fashion that is effective, interesting and in a way that creates a relationship between the reader and her characters. The entire time in reading this book I felt as if I was right there, involved with what the characters were experiencing, as well as felt emotions with them when they themselves, where feeling the emotions. The ending was exactly what I had expected and completely surprising all in the same manner. Throughout the second half of the book I felt as if Godfrey Ablewhite had been pinned as having a large hand in the disappearance of the Moonstone but what I did not expect was the way in which it was laid into his hands and for the reasons he proceeded to take it. It was a fascinating way to end this story that was told from some many different perspectives. I loved the conclusion of this novel! While I had never read mystery novels before, I feel as if Collins goes beyond the expectations in concluding this story.

            Collins does not just allude to a person who committed the crime. She does that, and then takes not just one step further, but several, to the point that no one would’ve seen the entire extent of it coming. How interesting is it that Franklin had truly been the one to steal the diamond and then hand it off to Godfrey, when Godfrey could then use it to his benefit?! I believe the many twists that are tied to Godfrey’s character really make this story so great. He needed money, but he had not predetermined to take or steal anything, and yet an extremely valuable but stolen diamond is placed in his hands when he wasn’t the one that truly “stole” it. There are so many significant details to every event and every character in this book that it would take pages and pages to revisit each one, but they all contribute to the brilliance of Collins writing. I would love to have been a fly on the wall through the process of her writing the Moonstone because as a consumer you know that every aspect of this story had thorough and processed thought that went into it.

            To say the least, I really loved this novel. It introduced me to many new ideas, from the genre to the time period and even to the themes, this book brings you through several entities to enjoy. As I said, I appreciated this book I did not just like it. The way Collins writes and tells her story through the use of her many characters makes the reader appreciate her contribution to literature through her novel the Moonstone.